Only In My Dreams
by Crystal Saturn
Summary: Serena lives a busy life where she's expected to succeed in everything. Stress takes its toll and she delves into a mystical fantasy world with an ethereal Prince. The line between dream and reality blurs. Can he save her? S/D *COMPLETE*
1. You Don't Know What It's Like

Hello everyone, welcome to my latest story. Many of you will already know me from my more comic first person stories such as 'Mystery Girl' and 'Ski Bunny Blues' and while there will still be an element of comedy in this story, it will be a little more serious (well… I've tried to make it more serious) but I hope you like it anyway. Please review and tell me what you think.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own SM. Idea is mine. I don't claim to own anything other than that.

Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed my other stories. You're all really wonderful. Thank you so much for taking time to review my stories and telling me how much you enjoy them. It really does make me feel awesome knowing I've made someone's day that much better and your reviews do the same for me.

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 1- Chimera

"Serena! Please! That's the second plate you've dropped today! Look, why don't you just go home and get some rest ok?"

Serena nodded and took her apron off. She looked up at Rosette, her manager, who gave her a reassuring look.

"We'll be fine, but please Serena, please try to be more careful tomorrow. It's the fifth plate you've broken this week! If you don't start pulling yourself together I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go." Rosette added. Serena nodded and lowered her head. She walked out of the Oishii Restaurant and sighed deeply before yawning. She dragged along her book bag behind her as she trudged towards the Crown Arcade.

'I'll never get any work done at home. Not with Sammy constantly pestering me, and all the chores I'll have to do when I get home. Maybe I can get Andrew to help me.' Serena reasoned within her mind as she let out another yawn and absentmindedly rubbed her eyes. The automatic doors of the arcade slid open as they sensed her presence.

"Sere-ee-ee-na!" Andrew greeted warmly, waving his arms in the air. "Got off work early?"

"Yeah." Serena smiled, her mood lightening up dramatically as she watched her blond friend. "Another one of your crazed fads Andrew?" She sat down on a bar stool at the counter.

"Yep! Hula Hoops! Aren't they wonderful? Round and round and round they go…" Andrew added another hoop onto his arm while keeping the ones around his waist rotating. Serena smiled and nodded politely. Taking her math book out of her bag, she pondered whether or not she had time to take a small break and read her latest manga. "Here Sere… try it!" Andrew smiled and handed the blonde a pink hoop.

"I'd love to but I've just got so much work to do…"

_Beep Beep Beep Beep_

"What's that noise?" Andrew stopped hula hooping for a moment and looked down at Serena's book bag.

"Oh, it's just my personal pocket organizer." Serena lied. "It's my alarm… I have to go. I guess I lost track of time!" She smiled and stuffed everything back into her book bag before bolting towards the door.

"Hey, watch it meatball!" His navy blue eyes glistened beneath his furrowed brows as the blonde almost knocked him over in her rush.

"So sorry- can't insult- no time." Serena dashed out of the arcade in record time, pulling her communicator out of her bag and transforming along the way.

* * *

"Moon tiara magic!" A beam of white light illuminated the park and radiated from the tiara before fading away once again. Sailor Moon dropped to her knees, physically drained of energy, as her tiara made its way back onto her forehead. 

"That was close… too close." Mars grumbled, rubbing her newly formed bruise on her shoulder.

"Yes Sailor Moon, we need to increase your training. You're falling behind. You almost got yourself slaughtered today!" Luna added. Sailor Moon sighed and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." Sailor Moon added as she slowly gathered all her strength to bring herself up to her feet.

"Sorry wont cut it. Either shape up or ship out." Sailor Mars reprimanded. Sailor Moon glanced over at Mercury, Venus and Jupiter for support. She received none.

* * *

Serena staggered up the stairs into her room. She collapsed onto her bed in utter exhaustion. 

"Serena! Have you picked the washing up?" Ilene's voice filtered from downstairs.

"Yes ma." Serena hollered back

"Will you vacuum the living area please?" Ilene asked.

"And there's a pile of dishes building up in the sink that has your name on it." Kenji added.

"I'm coming…" Serena muttered yawning and rolling off her bed. It was getting late and Serena knew she would be too tired to study for her biology exam the next day. She stumbled back down stairs to finish off her chores.

"Serena, I see you got 57 on your English exam." Kenji furrowed his eyebrows as his daughter came into view. "Your mother and I are very disappointed. We expect much better than this and we know you can do it. You just need to apply yourself more. Study harder."

"I know. I will try harder. I promise." Serena sighed quietly while stifling another yawn.

* * *

"Aren't you going to study for you biology exam tomorrow Serena?" Luna leaped up onto Serena's bed and pawed at her limp, tired body. 

"I'm really tired Luna…" Serena mumbled, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"But you just promised your parents you would try harder! What kind of leader constantly fails her exams? You need to be a tough, strong leader…" Luna persisted

"Luna! I did not fail!" Tears welled up in Serena's cobalt blue eyes.

"And that's another thing. Your constant crying and wailing. Serena you need to grow up and start acting more your age. You cant keep- what… what are you doing?"

"I'm putting you outside. You can sleep in Sammy's room tonight." Serena lifted the small black cat up and gently placed her out side of her room before shutting the door. It took all her energy to throw herself onto her bed. Tears trickled from her closed eyes as she tried to muffle her breaths. Her sobs reverberated through her body as she trembled in her bed, unable to hold back her anguish caused by her daily stresses.

No one knew how she felt. Not even Luna. To the world, she was just ditzy, clumsy, crybaby Serena. To the world, she was just another irresponsible, unreliable junior high girl with time to burn. To the world, she was invisible. She was just another nameless face in the crowd. No one knew of all the pressure that had been placed upon her. Not only did she have her academic studies to focus on, she was also struggling to maintain a part-time job, complete her household chores and on top of that- she had the bonus burden of having to save the world from the various forms of evil that threatened to break into our fragile world and take over our existence, night after night.

"Why does everyone expect so much from me?" Serena hastily wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "I can only do so much… I just want to be a normal teenager… is that too much to ask?" A pained expression appeared on her face as she let another deluge of tears soak the fabric of her pillow. Within minutes her breathing deepened and she found herself drifting off to sleep amongst the puddles of her sorrow.

* * *

Illusions filled her darkness. Whimsical characters buzzed past her in a flurry of reds, blues and yellows. Serena struggled to keep up with the blur of colours surrounding her. Giggling and laughter could be heard in the distance and she yearned to be carefree once again. 

"Would you like a banana?" Serena could hear Andrew's voice amongst the abstract murmur of her dream world.

Flashes of light whizzed past her and the lights in her fantasy dimmed for a moment. Serena found herself face to face with a ethereal image of a tall man clad in battle armour. He extended his hand and offered her a red rose.

"Who are you?" Serena asked, mystified by the mysterious dark man standing before her. She felt as though she knew him from somewhere, but couldn't quite figure it out.

"I am your prince… I have come to take you away from all of this insignificant apprehension. Take my hand." His deep, rich voice flittered through the air like the melody of birds in the springtime. Serena obliged, placing her hand within his. A blissful warmth spread itself along her arm and throughout the rest of her body as her hand made contact with his. "I'm glad you know that you can trust me princess. I will always be here for you. I will protect you. I must leave now princess…"

"Wait! Your name! I must know your name!" Serena pleaded eagerly. The man paused for a moment.

"I am Prince D-"

_Beep-Beep Beep-Beep_

Serena groaned, exasperated that she was merely seconds away from learning the name of her dream prince. She gazed up at her blaring alarm clock and read 6AM before hitting her snooze button and crawling back under her covers, hoping to resume her dream and learn more about this mystery dream man.

* * *

Well there's the first chapter. Not much… it gets better… I hope you like it so far though. Please review and tell me what you think! 

**_Crystal Saturn_**


	2. Divine

**Here's the next chapter for you all. I'm sorry this will be rushed and short but i've got exams on at the moment and my schedule is crammed full, but i havent forgotten about you guys which is why im posting this up. It should hopefully tie you over for this week. So sorry...**

**Thanks to: **palikani, whitey9h, CharmedSerenity3, BlAcKfIrE889, sailorstars16, cassandrare2001, Ishq, kireisnowtenshi, MintChocolate5, moonrabbit04, Lexi Wexi, keepoath, Priestess of Nottingham, daisy31, Sorceress Usagi, PrettyPinkSugar, pencil gal, SailorSenshiForever, Angel Des, wh00t, MoonieB, Red-Rose18, _**Serenity-hime **(thank you so much for taking the time to write a wonderful review. Thanks for the constructive criticism too!), _Ange Noir, Tenshi Bunny, MegTao **and** elianthos

**Just a bit of trivia for you- the chapter titles are all song titles from Tal Bachmans albums... he's cool.**

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 2- Divine

"Oh no! I'm late for school!" Serena wailed loudly as she blazed downstairs to pick up her breakfast-to-go and bolted out the door.

"Serena! You forgot your lunch!" Luna attempted to keep up with the swift blonde.

"Ms H is going to totally roast me!" Serena huffed.

"It's your own fault Serena. You should really get into the habit of waking up earlier. If you had woken up earlier this morning then maybe you could've gotten in some last minute study for your exam today." Luna attempted to lecture with Serena's lunch bag in her mouth.

"Can it Luna. I only got 5 hours of sleep last night as it is. I know I'll be getting a lecture from Miss Haruna and another this afternoon from Rei, I really don't need one from you too."

"Talking to your cat now Meatball head?"

Serena stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around to face her opponent

"You know, you're crazier than I thought." He beamed, azure eyes sparkling in the morning sunlight.

"What, you're stalking me now? Don't you have anything better to do, Chiba?" Serena pouted.

"Stalking you?" Darien let out a rich full-hearted laugh. "Don't flatter yourself too much Meatball head." He added before smoothly gliding within the doors of the Crown Arcade.

"Ohhhh that man makes me so mad!" Serena fumed before continuing her dash to school.

* * *

Serena stared out the window from her desk in the middle of the silent room. All heads were bowed down. Pens scribbled furiously on paper as students endeavored to do their best on their biology exam. Serena looked down at her exam paper. She blinked a few times and checked over her answers. She didn't know much, but she had at least attempted everything. Sighing quietly to herself, she felt her eyes grow heavy as she averted her gaze back out the window. Serena closed her eyes for what seemed to be only a second. As she opened them once more, time stood still. All had frozen around her. Students had paused mid scribble, the birds outside were suspended motionless in the sky. Even the clock on the wall had stopped ticking. Serena frowned and continued to look around. Just as she did, a masked man dressed in armour walked through the classroom door.

"It's you…" Serena breathed. Her heartbeat increased. His stern eyes fixated on her as he walked toward her determined. "What do you want?" She quivered beneath his shadow. Silently, he extended his hand towards her. He did not respond. Serena looked up at the man curiously and placed her hand gingerly within his. A warm smile embraced his features.

"I want to take you away." He lifted her up onto her feet.

"From what? Where are we going?" Serena questioned. He silently held her hand, walked out of the classroom and down the hallway. "Where are we going!" Serena demanded impatiently.

"You'll find out, Princess." He watched her from the corner of his eye.

"Princess? Who are you? Prince Charming?" Serena raised an eyebrow skeptically as he smirked.

"You could say that…" He shrugged slightly.

"So does Prince Charming have a name?" Serena urged on.

"The name's- Serena"

"Funny… your voice sounded a lot like Miss H's just then... and that's MY name!" A pout formed on Serena's face. The masked man opened his mouth to speak again but the sound of his voice once again sounded like Miss Haruna's.

"SERENA WAKE UP!"

A squeal escaped the blonde's lips as she jolted up and rejoined the world of the awake and living. She looked around to see an empty classroom and Miss Haruna kneeling in front of her.

"You slept through the end of the exam and right through your detention. Go home Serena." Miss Haruna's stern face was replaced with one of weariness. Serena gazed up at the clock. It was now four in the afternoon. She had missed the scout meeting and knew that Rei wouldn't be too happy.

* * *

The arcade doors gracefully slipped open with Serena's presence. She skillfully maneuvered around all the little children and made her way to the counter where a rather colourful and fruity Andrew stood, drying a few sundae glasses. She couldn't hold back her laughter as she dropped her book bag at her feet and slid onto the bar stool next to Darien's.

"Serena!" Andrew placed the glass down and picked up his maracas. He had a fruit basket securely adorned on his head. Instead of his usual arcade uniform and apron, he wore a bright green apple coloured shirt with the bottoms tied up, showing a bit of belly fluff. An orange skirt wrapped tightly around his waist and fell to the floor. "Welcome to Tropical Fruit Day!"

"Drew… you need help. These fads of yours are getting out of control." Darien shook his head and stared into his coffee cup.

"Awww…" Andrew reached over to refill Darien's cup. "Who's got their little grumpy wumpy pants on… you do! Yes you do!" Serena laughed at the tone that Tropical Andrew used on Darien.

"Stop patronizing me." Darien swatted Andrew's 'coochi coos' away. "And you…" He turned to face Serena. "Stop laughing Meatball head."

"Ohhhh you jerk! Who do you think you are-" Serena pouted childishly.

"Why I'm Prince Charming." Darien smirked and struck a valiant pose.

"Prince… Ch…" Serena's gaze mystified as felt a wave of déjà vu sweep over her.

"Serena? Are you alright? You look a little queasy…" Andrew gazed at the blonde girl before him, concerned. "Would you like a banana?" He reached into his fruit basked on his head and pulled out a banana.

"Funny… you said the same thing in my dream last night…" Serena dreamily glanced at the banana in Andrew's hand.

"Meatball head?" A worried expression came over Darien as Serena slowly began to sway back and forth in her chair. She felt all energy drain away from her and collapsed onto the floor. Darien looked down at the fruit in Andrew's hand and gave him a stern look.

"What?" Andrew asked.

"That's a wax banana, Drew. Put that thing away before you poke someone in the eye with it." Darien knelt down beside Serena to check if she was ok.

* * *

"Princess... you look simply divine tonight." A dark shadow stepped out of the dense mist that swept across the marble floor.

"You again..." Serena breathed. "What do you want from me?"

"Your trust, princess. I only want to help, protect and love you." The tall masked man towered over Serena, making her feel rather fragile in his presence.

"Love? Protect me? Protect me from what?" Fear cast itself within the innocent depths of Serena's cerulean eyes.

"From yourself." His cloak ruffled against his rigid body as his image began to fade away from her view.

"Wait! Where are you going? I thought you were protecting me? Why are you in my dreams? Why are all these coincidences happening? That prince charming thing and then the banana?" Serena began to frantically ask questions before her dream prince disappeared completely.

"In due time, princess." His voice shook the marble floor and dispersed the thick forboding fog.

* * *

Serena's eyelids slowly fluttered open and she found herself lying on a cold tile floor, looking up at two very handsome men with concerned looks plastered onto their faces.

"Serena are you alright? You fainted and hit your head pretty hard on the floor- luckily for you though, i think those meatballs of yours took most of the impact of your fall." Darien pointed out.

"Darien you're such a-" Serena began to seeth.

"Now now ladies, settle down." Andrew had changed back into his normal work attire. "Serena have you been dieting? You look a little pale and thinner."

"No i havent been dieting Andy... i'm fine! Really, i am. i dont know what came over me just then but i'll be alright." Serena managed to convince them both.

"Ok but have this shake. It should give you a bit of an energy boost and in no time, you'll be feeling completely divine." Andrew handed Serena a greyish brown looking concoction.

"Divine..." Serena echoed once again.

* * *

Im sorry that was short and a little rushed. I'm extremely tired and i have "the most important exam of my life- part 2" tomorrow so i need all the sleep i can get. I'll edit and re-post this chapter next week... i just would've felt bad if i didnt update this in time. Please review.

**_Crystal Saturn_**


	3. If You Sleep

Apologies for the delays. I've been sucked into watching Korean soap operas. They're so addictive. Sometimes hard to keep up with the subtitles but still very addictive. Thank you all so much for all your well wishes and understanding during my past week of examness. I am now free (for 3 weeks) from almost any form of assessmenting and examining so i will be concentrating on my fictioning and writing. No no... fear not- i havent lost my ability to speak proper Ingrish just yet.

**Thanks to:** daisy31, cassandrare2001, CharmedSerenity3, **_Ishq_** _(no Andy is not gay), **cardcaptor eternity** (not at this very moment), **SulliMike23 **(wow! Musicals and plays? You must be incredibly talented)_, kireisnowtenshi, MegTao, wh00t, koldy, BabyD4Lyfe, reviewer, Endy's Girl, hnil, _**Serenathy **(She has no idea who he is. Is he Darien? Is he really? Or is it just her imagination? oO),_Tenshi Bunny, _**Usagi-Tsukino-uf06 **(I left you some feedback but i forgot to tell you that i was very flattered and would love to be your editor), **Red-Rose18 **(Oh i absolutely LOVE the Phantom of the Opera one of my all time favourite stage productions),_ FallenOne, SailorSenshiForever, Lexi Wexi, elianthos, palikani, SwimBunny123, _**kamalchemy88 **(thank you for your dedication!), _sailorstars16, keepoath, pencil gal, Caytlyn Rose **and** Love of the Twilight

**

* * *

**

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 3- If You Sleep

"Serena where were you? You didnt show up at the scout meeting!" Luna began to reprimand Serena as she slowly walked through the door. "Ami said you fell asleep during your exam and had a detention, but that doesn't explain why you couldn't show up, or at least tell us you weren't coming. Where have you been?"

"I was at the arcade." Serena mumbled and unpacked her bag.

"At the arcade? Serena! You think the arcade is more important than your sailor scout duties?"

"I didn't say that at all! I needed help with my-"

"Serena you need to prioritize your time. You cant be spending all your time at the arcade when you have much more important things to do. You mustn't keep wasting your time when we need you here. We need you as Sailor Moon. You can't keep klutzing out on us when-" Luna began to reprimand

"Luna! Can you PLEASE just stop! Stop it!" Serena sighed loudly. "I just want to be a normal teenager. Don't you think it's hard enough for me as it is? Having to do my homework and study and work and the chores and now sailor business? Give me a break Luna! I haven't been sleeping properly the past few nights either."

"Well if you ask me, you seem to be sleeping fine but alright, i'm sorry." Luna apologised.

_-RING RING-_

"Hello?" Serena answered her phone. "Oh Rosette! Uhh... sure i can handle a double shift on Saturday. Yes i'm sure i can. Yes i'll make it on time for my shift tomorrow too. Friday? I'm not sure... I think i might have something... no no! It's not that. I just... yeah sure i can take over then as well. Thank you Rosette. Bye." Serena replaced the telephone back onto the cradle.

"Serena, you have work every day this week?" Luna peered up at the blonde girl in front of her.

"Yeah. It looks like they're really understaffed at the Restaurant. I have a double shift on Saturday." Serena fell back onto her bed.

"Well i hope you're planning on saving that money up for your future. Like for your education and when you move out."

"What? No way! I was saving it up to buy that gorgeous dress in the window of that boutique near Andrew's Arcade. It's so totally princess-like! I bet i'd look soooo good in it!" Serena sighed dreamily, leaving Luna to once again ponder about Serena's priorities.

* * *

"Serena! Can you come down please?" Ilene called from downstairs.

"What is it ma?" Serena cautiously walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Serena, listen. Your father and I have something we need to tell you. Now, Sammy's at soccer practise and we thought it would be best that we talked to you both seperately." Ilene soothed.

"What's going on?" Serena looked at her parents skeptically.

"Well you see... your mother and I have decided... well... we've come to the conclusion that we're going to have a... divorce."

Serena sat silently, staring at her mothers' lowered gaze and her fathers anxious expression.

"Why?" Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat before trying once again. "Why would you do this to us? To me and Sammy. No... no i wont let it happen!"

"Serena honey, the decision has already been made. I'm moving out tomorrow night." Kenji replied.

"And where are you going to stay?" Serena asked defiantly. "Don't you love us anymore? Is that it? You're just going to up and leave us."

"Of course not Serena. Your mother and I just have... one too many differences to sort out. I still love you all. I'll be staying at a friends house until i can rent my own appartment." Kenji stood up, as if to end the conversation. "I'll always be there there when you need me Serena."

"No you wont." Serena's voice was filled with bitterness and animosity as she pushed past her parents and ran into her room, slamming her door shut and leaning up against it.

The moonlight glistened into her room soothingly through her window. A rough gush of wind rustled Serena's pale white curtains and struck her face like a cold, hard slap. She felt her breath stall in her throat for a moment, unable to release it due to the air blowing onto her face. Her tears trickled down her cheeks, creating new streams on her otherwise flawless, soft, pale skin. Serena slumped as she leaned against the door, allowing her body to slowly slide down until she sat onto the floor.

"I'm sorry Serena." Luna slowly padded towards the blonde and gently nudged her hand. Serena looked down at the black cat and lifted her onto her lap, gently stroking her soft fur. Serena could hear the clattering of pots and pans downstairs. The noise was then accompanied with the sound of raised voices bickering once again. Venom spilled with every word spoken. Hateful words. Spiteful words. Serena closed her eyes tightly and tried to drown out the noise by counting to ten out loud. By the time she reached the last digit, Serena opened her eyes and heard the front door slam. Soft muffled sobs could be heard coming from the kitchen below.

"Luna... i just wish everything could go back to normal. I wish everything could be like how it was when i was younger. I wish everything was... wonderful again." Serena sighed. Luna purred understandingly on her lap. She closed her eyes, feeling heartbroken and betrayed by the very two people who promised to always be there for her.

* * *

"Princess... why do you cry?" He strode out of the darkness, illuminating her dreams with every confident step he took toward her.

"Endymion..." The name escaped from her lips so swiftly and easily. It was as though she knew him. A gentle smile and a half nod confirmed his identity.

"Your tears carry all the anguish of the world. Why do you trouble yourself with such burdens, Princess?" He draped his warm cloak around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him for a warm embrace.

"I cant help it." Serena felt herself release and cry into his chest. His fingers brushed through her golden locks soothingly as he continued to hold her close to him. Letting her find a release for all her pent up emotions within his safe and loving arms. She no longer felt as though she had to keepher emotions in check or hide her tears from anyone. Serenareleased the built up pressure and emotions within the arms of a manwho existed onlythe fantasyrealm of herdreams. Her weeping eventually died down to small sniffles and he gently held her at arms length, looking deep into her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" His deep voice was firm yet still held a hint of compassion. Serena paused for a moment, staring into the deep, endless eyes of her dream Prince, searching for something, anything that would reveal his motives. Did she truly trust him? He seemed genuinely interested in protecting her and keping her safe. He seemed to be interested in her wellbeing. He was the only one who had wanted to listen to her problems and be there for her. He was the only one who cared enough to notice she was unhappy. He wanted to help her.

"Yes." She eventually replied simply.

"Then believe me when I say; everything will be wonderful again."

* * *

If you havent already noticed i ended up basing that chapter loosely around the awesome song "Wonderful" by one of my all time favourite bands- Everclear. I hope you liked it. I realise that these chapters are rather a little short and slow in pace at the moment but it will get interesting- i promise. This story is aprox. 25 or so chapters long so it just takes time to establish. Thank you so much for your awesome reviews! Please keep them up- they're the only thing that keeps me from going out and renting a barrage of soap opera movies and watching them non stop.

**Just another note. Google. com has a link on their directed towards the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief appeal. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE donate as much as you can afford to spare towards all those people who truly need it. Their lives have been forever changed by this event and they need your support. Don't turn your backs on them when they need it the most.**

_Remember: together, we can all make a difference._

Crystal Saturn


	4. Strong Enough

Hiya everyone. Sorry once again with the delays. Sorry about the spacing problem in the last chapter as well… I added a couple lines while I was editing it on ff. netand crappy ff. nettends to do weird thing with spaces. So I'll fix that a.s.a.p- thank you to everyone who pointed it out.

**Thanks to: **MegTao, sailorstars16, kamalchemy88, SulliMike23, Priestess of Nottingham, _**Love of the Twilight **(thanks for the constructive criticism!),_ CharmedSerenity3, Ishq, Tenshi Bunny, Serenathy, Usagi-Tsukino-uf06, tkdl, Lexi Wexi, Prometheus FireBringer, _**cardcaptor eternity **(nope not random),_ Red-Rose18, Crystal Rhapsody, SailorSenshiForever, MidniteRoses, PrettyPinkSugar, Raining Tear Drops, TrueDestiny **and** sailorceb

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 4- Strong Enough

"It always gets worse before it gets better." Molly sighed into the phone. "Look just promise me you'll take care of yourself ok? I gotta go now Serena."

"Alright Mol, thanks for listening. Bye." Serena placed the receiver back on its cradle "How much more worse will it get?" She sighed and slumped against the counter.

"Serena, this one goes to table 8. Table 6 is still waiting on their salad and table 7 is waiting on garlic bread." Rosette handed her a plate of food.

"Table 8's food. 6 Salad. 7 bread. Right" Serena nodded before attempting to gracefully serve the meals.

* * *

"Am I really strong enough to do this on my own?" Serena wistfully stirred her milkshake around with her blue and white striped straw.

"You're not alone, Sere. You have all your friends and family to help you." Andrew reassured while drying a tray of sundae and milkshake glasses whilst attempting to keep his hacky sack in motion. "I'm sure what you're going through is perfectly normal in a teenagers life."

"But it's just so much harder now. With stupid school and work taking up all my daytime, saving the lives of the world time after time, every night and now with dad leaving us. It's just so hard to deal with Andy!" Serena sighed, her head dropping onto the counter with a gentle thud. She clasped her arms over her head as if she were sheltering herself from the cruel fate, served to her daily by this relentless world.

"What was that you said?" Andrew gently put the glass in his hands down.

"I hate it. I really can't cope anymore Drew." Serena mumbled.

"No no, not that… the part about you saving the world at night. What did you mean by that?" Andrew inquired. Serena looked up at the blond in front of her. Her eyes widened in fear and humiliation. She had just spilled out her biggest secret for the world to hear. How stupid could she be?

"N-n-n-nothing? Uh I mean... I was just talking about... you know... that stuff... that...teenagers... we...errrr... and yeah... hmmm..." Serena's voice died down in a rabble of incomprehendable mutterings.

"Serena. You tell me everything. You haven't once kept a secret from me. Why start now? I'm your best friend." Andrew kicked his hacky sack back into his hands. "And besides, you know I wont give in till you tell me."

"I don't think you'd believe me even if I did tell you that I'm the super heroine Sailor Moon. Fighting for love and justice and all that is good in this world." Serena went back to idly stirring her milkshake.

"You know, you're right. I don't believe you." Andrew replied and watched Serena shrug her shoulders. "Because the Sailor Moon I know wouldn't lose faith in herself. She would be as determined as ever to get back on her feet and show the world just how smart and strong she is. The Sailor Moon I know would never let anything bring her down. She would be happy, laughing and telling me all about the latest Sailor V game and drinking her shake, instead of sitting there, trying to convince me that she can't do anything and stirring her drink around." Andrew walked around to the other side of the counter and sat on the stool next to Serena. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, comforting her the best way he could.

"Hey Drew man, you know if Reika saw this she wouldn't be too happy." His rich, deep voice called from the doorway, slicing through the noise of all the bustling beeping arcade games and the people contently playing them. Serena pulled away from Andrew's embrace, quickly wiping her tears away from sight.

"Darien, you know perfectly well that Reika isn't the jealous type... unlike you, pally." Andrew smiled mischievously before heading back onto the other side of the counter. He pulled a coffee mug from a shelf and began to prepare Darien's usual.

Darien sat down on the stool next to Serena's and observed her closely.

"What are you looking at?" Serena raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're crying." He noted.

"Ten points to Einstein right here. Hey Andy, how about you give Darien an extra sugar for being such a smart littlecookie?"

"Ok... Let me guess why. You had boy problems?" Darien leaned against the counter. "Or family problems. Are your friends picking on you? Have they turned against you? Maybe it's school. Been flunking any tests lately? Oh that's right! When do you not fail?"

"Darien..." Andrew's tone warned.

"Maybe it's work. How many plates did you break today? 12? 13? Did you spill someone's soup on them again klutzoid Queen?"

"Darien!" Andrew warned once more. Serena turned away from Darien, not wanting him to see her at her weakest moment.

"You know, I bet this is EXACTLY why you can't get a boyfriend. You're always crying to Andrew about the littlest of things. He has a girlfriend you know, and I'm sure he doesn't need to listen to your relentless wailing and whining." Darien added, smirking.

"You're such a jerk wad!" Serena stood up abruptly and shoved Darien off his stool. His quick reflexes resulted in him gripping onto her hand and bringing her down on top of him. "Let go of me you slime ball!" Serena struggled to find the energy to relieve herself of Darien's vice grip before bolting for the door.

"Serena wait!" Andrew called and ran over to her.

"Don't listen to him. He hasn't had a proper caffeine fix for seven hours. You're strong and you know it. Listen, this Saturday I'm having a masquerade day in celebration of the new Costume and Gadget store my parents are opening. It would be great if you could come. You deserve a break."

"I have to work a double shift that day." Serena replied quietly.

"Well you can turn up after your shift. It starts at 6 in the afternoon and finishes at 12 midnight. At the Sakura Community Hall, near Cherry Hill Temple. Do you think you can make it?" Andrew asked. Serena thought for a moment then nodded. "Great." Andrew smiled "You take care of yourself until then ok? Have faith in yourself Sailor Moon. Everything will be wonderful again. You'll see."

"Wonderful..." Serena looked up at Andrew in disbelief. She gazed into his blue eyes and wondered if he was the prince in her dreams. "It couldn't be..." She mumbled to herself as her vision became misty and blurred.

"What couldn't be? What's wrong Sere? Are you okay? You look a little pale."

Serena swayed lightly as she became more and more disorientated. She struggled to stay awake and tried to blink her blurred vision away. She felt as though her energy was being drained away as the world around her began to tumble and become dark. Andrew's voice could be heard amongst the darkness. He called for Darien, and it was then that she could hear the voice of her prince calling her name, telling her to awaken. His voice faded and she lost consciousness.

* * *

The darkness surrounded her and Serena suddenly felt lost, alone and incredibly vulnerable. She looked around in the dense darkness, afraid to call out for help in case something more sinister would find her.

"Endymion?" Her voice quavered and cracked, echoing in the vast expanse of eternal darkness. No response. She had never felt so empty, so alone in her life. "Endymion?" She called a little louder, her voice growing stronger. It was then that she felt a presence nearby. She squinted her eyes, hoping to focus on something, anything in the dark, but there was nothing to focus on. Or was there? A dark figure slowly made its way towards her. The distant sound of chain mail tinkered as the figure began to walk toward her at a constant pace. "Endymion! You came!" Serena let out a sigh of relief as lifted herself up onto her feet. The figure remained silent as it slowly made its way towards Serena. Her smile faltered as she noticed the figures lowered head and slumped posture. He has a limp in his right leg. The dark figure grew ever closer, until it was merely a few metres away from Serena. She gazed at him intently. Thinking to herself, she felt her heart begin to pound in her chest. Something wasn't right. She could feel it. It was then; she remembered that Endymion wore armour, but not chain mail.

"You're not Endymion..." Serena began back away cautiously. The figure raised his head as he approached, revealing his horribly scarred face. His emerald green eyes shimmered with malicious intent. Serena felt a hand grip onto her ankle and she shrieked, falling backwards onto the cold, hard floor. She looked down at her leg. There was nothing there. She looked up once more, in time to see the figure progressing towards her, drawing his sword and swinging it at her.

"ENDYMION!" Serena cried out in desperation. Her eyes shut in fear and agony, not wanting to see what happened next. The sound of a metallic object falling to the ground with a loud clanker caused Serena to open her eyes. She was greeted with the sight of the dark figure, standing before her with a sword embedded within his chest. It penetrated the chain mail like a hot knife through butter. Red liquid seeped from his wound and trickled along the edge of the blade, toward the hilt of the sword. Serena screamed in utter fear, scrambling onto her feet and running away from the scene before her. She felt a hand firmly grasp her wrist, pulling her back. Serena screamed once more, closing her eyes, not wanting to face her fate. She struggled for her life, kicking and screaming. The presence held her firmly within its grasp as she wriggled and desperately tried to gain her freedom.

"Princess... open your eyes. Do not fight me, please."

Serena froze in her place. Her clamped eyelids fluttered open, revealing Endymion, standing in his full armour. A white mask sat firmly upon the bridge of his nose. His grip loosened and Serena sighed in relief. She hurled herself into his arms, embracing him and relishing the feeling of his warmth and protection

"You came." She sighed in relief once again.

"Of course. I'll always be here when you need me Princess." Endymion pulled away and withdrew his sword from the chest of the mysterious dark warrior. A blinding sliver of light seeped from the warrior's wound and invaded the dense darkness. Within seconds, extravagant and vivid colours flooded Serena's vision. She was temporarily blinded by the onslaught of light and rapidly flashing images before her. She felt as though she was trapped within a morbid kaleidoscope. Dark images flickered before her. Images of destruction, of pain, of fear. Intertwined with intense explosions of white light. Serena dropped to her knees and shut her eyes, trying to hide once again.

"Endymion!" She called out once again. Within seconds, Serena could hear her prince respond. He called out to her and begged her to open her eyes and wake up. She did as she was told to do and soon found herself lying on the arcade floor, face to face with Darien.

* * *

The next chapter will be out HOPEFULLY next Tuesday. Back on schedule. Thank you all so much for your exceptionally wonderful reviews! I enjoyed reading each and every one of them. They always make me smile. Hi to everyone who recently added me on msn messenger. Hehe it kinda got a little hectic at one point with so many new people on my list. Well I'll get writing. Please review! Thanks!

**_Crystal Saturn_**


	5. Somebody's Dreaming

Here's the next chapter… not in a good mood. Sorry all. I still luv u all though. In a purely platonic way, of course.

**Thanks to: **sailorSerena141, ffgirlmoonie, TrueDestiny, _**MegTao** (He might be… might not…),_ Priestess of Nottingham, Ishq, Forever Tranquility, Lexi Wexi, Red-Rose18, Tenshi Bunny, CharmedSerenity3, givemeurcash, pencil gal, SulliMike23, PixiePam, sailorceb, _**Raining Tear Drops** (I like your new pen name), _FaythlessAngel **and **BlAcKfIrE889

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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 5- Somebody's Dreaming

Darien gasped. Beads of sweat clung to his body as he jolted up in bed. He turned his head, to check the time before lying back down in bed. He stared at the ceiling for what seemed to be an eternity contemplating the visions he had just witnessed in his dream.

A princess. His princess? A princess nevertheless, one that he had just instinctively saved from the wrath of a dark warrior. She called him Endymion and he had responded to that name. Blinding flashes of white light surrounded him as he tried to find out more about this princess. Where she had come from and what she wanted? She had obviously knew him, but from where? Was he meant to know who she was? She looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Darien rolled over in bed, pulling the covers over his head, hoping to regain a fragment of slumber.

* * *

"Yeah I guess it's normal for a dream. I just thought it was a little weird." Darien stirred around his iced coffee, poking the glob of vanilla ice cream with his straw.

"Why do you think it was any different from other dreams?" Andrew asked, arranging his beanie babies in alphabetical order.

"It just felt so real. It was so different from any other dream I have had before." Darien shrugged

"Hmmm… Fair enough. So you're coming to the masquerade on Saturday right?" Andrew absentmindedly continued to arrange his collection of Beanie Babies.

"In celebration of your new gadget store? Sure! If it weren't for the new shop you wouldn't have any way of getting stock for your strange crazes. All these Beanie Babies, hula hoops oh, and not to mention your transgender tropical fruit woman costume."

"I may look strange sometimes but if I didn't have my fads I'd be as grumpy as old fart Darien! Isn't that right Pinky and Twirls?" Andrew winked at his two favourite bean filled toys.

"I'm not grumpy and you have way too much time on your hands. You're talking to Beanie Babies." Darien shook his head sympathetically at his blond friend.

"You know… Serenaaaa's coming to the masquerade." Andrew quickly changed the topic of conversation.

"And that means what to me?" Darien raised an eyebrow, glancing idly towards Andrew.

"Oh come on! I'm your best friend. You honestly think you can hide your schoolboy crush on Serena from me? Why else would you constantly pick on her over any other girl if you didn't like her? And why else would you drop by precisely 4 minutes, every afternoon, before she arrives? I know I'm incredibly sexy and good looking but I highly doubt you're here to see me." Andrew leaned on the counter, lowering his voice as 'all-knowing Andrew' would.

"Serena's a walking insult magnet. That girl can't walk and breathe at the same time. She deserves the insults she gets… consider it as… constructive criticism. And for your information- I'm here for my daily caffeine fix. You know that." Darien waved away Andrew's accusations.

"Alright then. If you want to keep denying the obvious you can but she's going through a really tough time at the moment so do your best to lay off the constructive criticism all right? Besides- I need you to watch over her at the masquerade."

"What? Why? She's a teenager. She's perfectly capable of looking after herself. She doesn't need me as her baby sitter." Darien frowned, crossing his arms protectively across his chest.

"I've asked all her friends and they've all got previous engagements which means she probably wont know anyone at the masquerade and will be all alone. Come on Daz, it would be a perfect opportunity to show Serena a different side of you. Maybe score a couple brownie points. Who knows… the Great Darien Chiba might actually cave and –God forbid- admit that he's fallen in love." Andrew flashed his winning smile.

"Drew!" Darien protested, watching his best friend grinning ever so cheekily. "Alright, I'll do it. But only because you practically begged- NOT because I like her."

The smooth sound of the semitransparent glass doors swiftly gliding open captured the attention of both men. They turned their heads towards the entrance of the bustling arcade to see a familiar blonde girl slowly dragging her feet towards them. She removed her apron from around her waist as she plunked herself down two stools away from Darien and rested her head upon the counter.

"How was your shift Rena?" Andrew began fixing her a double chocolate shake.

"Hell." Serena grumbled as she tilted her head to the side, looking up at the man behind the counter.

"You look exhausted Meatball Head." Darien turned his attention back to his frozen treat.

"I am. Leave me alone Darien." Serena yawned, rubbing her eyes before closing them once again.

"Wow… too tired for an intellectual retaliation? Now that's a first. You didn't even bother calling me a jerk." Darien watched as Serena wafted into a lethargic musing. She closed her eyes for a moment, smiling ever so slightly.

Just as Serena shut her eyes, her mind flooded her with abstract visions of intangible utopian scenes. She watched lights and spectral orbs float around her, surrounding her and engulfing her with warmth and energy. Within seconds all that was ripped away from her and Serena was once again left in darkness. She looked around in front of her. There was no trace of light at all, only dank, dense darkness. She swiveled around to be greeted with the presence of a man. She let out a scream of pure shock.

"Princess, it's alright. It's only me." Endymion silenced Serena by placing a hand over her mouth. She looked up at him and broke off her scream. "Princess. Be mine." He knelt down, holding one of her hands ever so gently.

"What?" Serena gazed at him in utter disbelief.

"Stay with me forever. Promise me you'll never leave me." His deep blue eyes penetrated hers from beneath his white mask.

"I… I can't." Serena stuttered as she pulled her hand away from his. She turned to run but he firmly grasped onto her hand, swiftly pulling her back into his embrace. "Endymion…Let go…" Serena pleaded, her voice sounding desperate and scared.

"I can't do that Princess. I swore to protect you, and I'll do that, no matter what it takes." Endymion's voice lowered into a barely audible whisper.

_BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP_

"Serena… wake up… your alarm is ringing. You need to be somewhere." Andrew gently shook Serena's sleeping form. She yawned deeply before realizing her communicator was beeping.

"Oh no…" She groaned, exhausted.

"What's that?" Darien asked, eyeing her bag down suspiciously.

"It's just my organizer alarm… I have to go. No rest for the wicked." Serena quickly grabbed her bag and bolted out the door.

* * *

Serena managed to transform along the way and track down the other scouts. She trembled as she felt something within her pulsate. A strange feeling overcame Serena as she begin to feel her energy drain away once again.

"Mars fire ignite!" The red suited scout aimed her attack at the mysterious black shadow. It consumed the fiery flamed wholly without showing any form of damage.

"What are you? Where are you from?" Mercury hollered as she attempted to scan for a weakness.

"I am the Knight of Darkness. I have come for you." The apparitional silhouette pointed towards the direction of Sailor Moon. She groaned, clutching her head as she felt an immense amount of dark energy course through her veins.

A swift blur of red dashed towards the shadow, skimming through it and landing on the grassy ground. It was enough to prove a distraction as a masked warrior came to Sailor Moon's rescue.

"Tuxedo Mask…" Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sailor Moon, don't give in. You can do it." He smiled warmly. His words of encouragement were enough to motivate Sailor Moon into reaching for her tiara.

"Moon Tiara, Action!"

The discus of white light soared towards the Dark Knight promisingly, yet within moments, it's pivotal rotations slowed and eventually stalled. Gravity took control and Sailor Moon's discus fell to the ground with a clatter.

"It's useless Sailor Moon. You can't harm me. I'll be back for you." The otherworldly apparition smirked before merging with the wind and fading away, leaving Sailor Moon and the scouts to silently stare at the failed gold plated tiara, lying redundant in the dirt.

* * *

Umm yeah… the end of another chapter! Please read and review.

**_Crystal Saturn_**


	6. Darker Side of Blue

Apologies for the HUGE delay. I decided to take a year-and-a-half hiatus on my writing. I'm sorry i failed to inform you all about it and left you hanging in the middle of this story. It tends to happen every few years. I'm at a crossroads in my life (i have been these past 2 or so years) and i think i'm still struggling to find my feet after high school, but i'm getting there. I figured it was hugely unfair of me to leave this story hanging, so im making time in my schedule to try and finish this off, and hopefully get started on some new stories. Thank you all so much for your patience and support.

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter:** Redroses, Serenathy, TrueDestiny, Ishq, Caytlyn Rose, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, cardcaptor eternity, kamalchemy88, Red-Rose18, Starlit Warrior, Little TinkerBell Girl, moon girl, Zackire, ffgirlmoonie, SwimBunny123, Echizen Ryoma, blindinglight101, Love of the Twilight, animeangel404, DAzED Blue Angel, cassandrare2001, sailorstars16, merangelgal, cool, SulliMike23, Serenity-hime _(thank you so much for your feedback!)_, SiLvErMoOnWiNg, Alicia Blade _(thank you so much! It's such an honor to have such a talented writer and peer as yourself read my works)_, LilyFlower0769, CSIcorrespondent, sailorceb, moon princess, emmastarz, PhantasyDreamer, GilmoreGirlsRocks **and** MegTao

**

* * *

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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 6- Darker Side of Blue

"Why didn't it work?" Sailor Mercury gingerly picked up the dull tiara and handed it back to Sailor Moon.

"I… I don't know. It's always worked before." Sailor Moon looked around, checking to see if it was safe to de-transform before she did so.

"Maybe you're losing your powers." Sailor Jupiter followed suit.

"I don't understand…" Serena sighed and looked down at her hands. "I don't know what's happening anymore. Everything's just so…"

"Look, just don't worry about it. Try again the next time. It should work again. Maybe you're just overly tired at the moment. Have faith ok? Don't give up on yourself just yet. It might still work." Mina smiled warmly.

"Thanks guys… I have to be getting home now." Serena turned around swiftly to hide the tears of disappointment forming in her eyes and briskly walked away.

* * *

"What is wrong with me?" Serena muttered as she buried her face into her soft pillow. "I can't do anything right anymore. Not at work, not at school. I can't even complete my duties as Sailor Moon and I'm almost certain that Dad's leaving because of me. I'm no use to anyone. All I am is a burden." Her pillow absorbed her hot tears as they seeped from her eyes. Her muscles ached and her body was drained of energy. She rolled over and laid on her back, lifting her pillow up to smother her face in it, hoping to asphyxiate or at least lose consciousness. When neither happened, she sighed and threw the pillow across the room. Her tears had ceased but the emptiness in her heart and the dread in her soul remained. Her eyelids fell heavy and before long she was sound asleep, curled up into a little ball in the middle of her double bed.

* * *

"Princess, is that you?"

"E…Endymion?" Serena quivered as she remembered her last experience with the mysterious entity.

"Princess, what are you still doing here? You must leave at once! This is of utmost importance. There is a storm coming. You must go." The prince's face was shadowed from sight as he spoke.

"But-" Serena began to protest.

"LEAVE, NOW!" He raised his head and sternly glared at her. A shiver ran through her body as she backed away from him. Something in his eyes told her to be afraid, and that, she was. She pivoted and turned to run but was met with a searing wall of flames.

"Where did that come from?!" Serena winced as a flame grazed the side of her right arm. She turned back to find Endymion gone. She was all alone in the darkness. Her lips pursed and as she contemplated calling into the darkness for her savior, the ground beneath her feet began to tremble violently. "An earthquake? Serena! Wake up!" She pinched her arm in an attempt to wake herself up but to no avail. A gust of wind threw her onto the ground, close to the flames. She shrieked as savage cracks began to appear in the floor. Another gust of wind summoned heavy raindrops to fall from the sky in a deluge of water. The flames, instead of dying down in a sauna of steam, intensified as if the rain fueled them. Sections of the earth began to crumble and fall away, lost in the endless shafts and crevasses caused by the quake.

"Endymion!" Serena yelled helplessly as the floor under her shook once again. She felt her body shift with the ground and struggled to hold onto clumps and sections of dirt and rock. A rather large hole began to form beneath her feet and she scampered backwards as fast as she could to not fall into the endless pit but with the downpour of rain making the ground beneath her slippery, and the gale force winds forcing itself upon her like a constant slap in the face, Serena soon found herself incredibly tired and cold. In a lapse of tiredness, she placed her foot too surely on loose soil. The floor trembled and she found herself falling. Falling into eternal darkness. As she fell, she gazed up at the sky and at the surface, she saw the face of her prince. He had come too late. He was watching her fall.

* * *

_thud_

"Ow…" Serena muttered and opened her eyes to see herself now lying on the floor next to her bed. She gave a wholehearted yawn before rolling over and climbing onto her feet. Stumbling towards the window, she drew the curtains and winced, expecting to be met with the blinding warm glow of daylight, but when she peeled her eyes open, she was surprised to see dark storm clouds rolling in her direction. "It's going to be one of those days..." Serena sighed dejectedly before slowly plodding downstairs, but what she failed to notice was the trail of mud and dirt she left behind with every step, and the newfound burn on her arm.

* * *

"Will you be going to Andrew's Masquerade tomorrow night?" Lita inquired, creating conversation as she and the other girls sat idly in the arcade, waiting for Serena to arrive.

"I can't go. I've got an English and a chemistry test both on Monday. I need to study for that but I'm certain Serena will be going." Ami raked her fingers through her hair absentmindedly.

"Saturday night is out of the question for me. I've got so many chores to do at the temple. It's so busy at this time of the year." Raye added.

"I've got a acting audition right after volleyball prac tomorrow afternoon, so I can't make it. A Masquerade.., I've always wanted to go to one. It looks like so much fun! What about you Lita, are you going?"

"No, I wont be going either. I'm so bummed! I really wanted to go. I'm training in the kitchen all night though. Saturdays are really busy at the restaurant."

"Does that mean Serena's going alone?" Mina piped up once more.

"Looks like it. She should be fine though, Darien and Andrew are respectable, mature men. They'll look after her." Raye shrugged just as the sliding doors of the arcade glided open and a bundle of golden locks barged through.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! I got held up at school! Miss Haruna gave me a detention for falling asleep in class again."

"Again? That's the third time this week! Jeez Meatball Head, must you ALWAYS keep us waiting? You're so irresponsible and lazy! I don't know why YOU'RE the leader. I vote we appoint someone more fitting for the role." Raye glared.

"Now now Raye. Just take it easy. I think Serena is doing fine as leader. She's doing the best as she can and it's a tough job."

"Thank you Mina." Serena added quietly. Just as she spoke, an intensely bright flash of lightning sliced through the sky. The lights of the arcade flickered a few times and within a couple seconds, the thunderous roar could be heard, so close that the ground trembled. Serena squealed and clutched Lita's arm tightly.

"You guys, I'm getting a suspicious reading nearby. Something out there is creating this storm and I've got a bad feeling about it." Ami tapped away at her mini computer.

"Well we should probably go check it out then." Raye was first to stand. Serena groaned bitterly.

"But i just got here... and it's a storm." She slowly lifted her head up from the table to see the girls were already half way out the arcade doors. "Ugh. Not again..."

* * *

"Elementra!" a Thunderous roar filled the air as bolts of lightning struck nearby trees, setting them ablaze.

"Stop right... there." Sailor moon barely managed to catch her breath before throwing herself onto the scene. It seemed like every battle she was drawn into only served to drain her of more and more energy. "I... I'm way too tired... to put up with you right now so..." Sailor Moon reached or her tiara but before she could even begin to take aim, the youma had vanished out of sight.

"What? Where did it go?" Venus looked around in disbelief.

"Mercury do you think you could try to get a scan of it?" Sailor Moon turned to her fellow scout.

"I'm on it..." Mercury skillfully typed into her minute palm sized computer while scanning the surrounding area. "strange..." She watched the computer screen flash red. "It's indicating that the youma is directly behind you, Sailor Moon." Mercury and the scouts looked up towards their leader in time to see her turn around and meet face to face with Elementra. Serena's eyes widened with shock but before she could act upon her instincts, she was hurled quite a distance away by a large burst of energy, stopping only when her limp body impacted against a wall.

* * *

"Help me! Please..." Serena sobbed as she held on to the edge of the cliff face. "Endymion..." She whispered into the darkness. "Endymion, please help me. I know you can hear me. I... I need you." Tears trickled down her dirt stained face.

"Princess!" A voice from above her boomed, and startled her into almost losing her grip and balance. She looked up, knowing she would meet the eyes of her dream protector. "Princess, please try to hold on."

"Endymion?" She was astounded at the tone in his voice. It wasn't calm and confident as usual. His voice held an air of concern to it, possibly even desperation. It was a side of him that she had not ever seen before. He seemed more three dimensional now. More... real. This sudden revelation caused Serena to panic. If he seemed more real, then maybe, just maybe, this whole situation would be more real.

"Give me your hand, Princess." Endymion attempted to reach down to save Serena. She gingerly walked her fingers up the cliff face but was still unable to reach his grasp. "Just a little more." Desperation caused his voice to quiver.

"I... I can't do it." Serena stood on the tip of her toes and stretched out every part of her to try to get a hold of his hand. "I can't do this anymore. I just... i don't want to do this anymore." She broke into tears once again. "I can't fight anymore. It's just too much for me to handle. I'm so tired." She let her hand drop from above her head.

"No! Princess! Don't give up. You can't give up. You can do it!" Endymion attempted to encourage her, to boost her spirits.

"No. I don't want to. I don't want to do anything anymore. I just want to..." Serena looked down at the eternal darkness below her. "I just want to..." She let an agonizing cry slip from her trembling lips as her knees buckled and she fell backwards into the deep emptiness.

"Princess! Don't give up! Don't give up. You can do this! We're here for you. Don't give up." Endymion's words pierced through the darkness as Serena closed her eyes and enjoyed the free fall.

* * *

"Don't give up."

"You can do this!"

"We're here for you."

"Don't give up."

The scouts and Tuxedo Mask surrounded their fallen leader. She was battered and bruised from head to toe. Her body lay limp and seemingly lifeless in the arms of the Masked hero, who was trying with all his might to awaken the peacefully unconscious soldier.

"Come on, Sailor Moon." Mars agonized in the background.

"You can do this!" Jupiter added.

"Yeah, we're all here for you Sailor Moon." Venus chimed in.

* * *

The darkness seemed to go on forever. Serena figured that she would soon enough hit the ground end everything would be over. Even still, the last words of her dark savior seemed to haunt her.

"Don't give up."

He was different now. There was something about him that made her want to trust him now, more than any other time before. He didn't seem so harsh and cold like he had previously been. He seemed as though he genuinely wanted to help her. As all these thoughts ran through her head, she failed to recognize a bright light in the distance and it came as a surprise to her when she suddenly felt a hand gripping onto hers and she felt as though she had just fallen from the heavens, back down into her own body. Her eyes fluttered open to the sight of her own real life protector.

"Tuxedo Mask..." She coughed as the all-too-real pain of consciousness began to sink in. The last thing she could remember was being face to face with the youma, a series of painful surges going through her body and then darkness.

"Are you alright, Sailor Moon?" Tuxedo Mask assisted the injured girl into a sitting position where she groaned loudly in pain, and in realization that she was still alive.

"Damn." She cursed under her breath.

"What was that?" Tuxedo Mask stood up slowly, preparing to leave.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Sailor Moon plastered a fake smile upon her face as she grunted and stood up on her own two feet without any assistance. Her body was aching and pain wracked through her entire frame. She swiftly masked her pain and put on a brave face. _I can do this._

"Are you sure? You took on a really powerful blow there." Mercury aided her comrade.

"Yes. I'm positive. I'm fine. Thank you all very much." Sailor Moon shrugged and bounced around on her toes to try to prove a point. "See? All good. The bruises will heal in no time." She smiled cheerfully before pausing in thought. "But there is something i want to talk to you about Tux..." Sailor Moon swiveled around but the mysterious masked man had already left.

He was standing upon a branch, in a nearby tree. Watching Sailor Moon with a certain degree of suspicion. There was something strangely different about her. She reminded him of Serena. The way they both seemed to be lagging around lately. It was as if they were both taking on way too much to handle. Like they were both putting on a brave face for all the world to see. It was failing. He could see through the veil of deception that he knew all too well. He could see straight into the darker side of blue.

* * *

That's the end of that chapter guys. I hope you enjoyed it. Just pointing out though... Serena isn't suicidal, she's just struggling, tired and on the verge of giving up but she is not suicidal so please dont expect me to be writing up chapters where she's hacking away at her own flesh. It wont happen. On a lighter note though, i have a sneak peak for you at the next chapter... ready?

Next Chapter: 7- Masquerade

Yep, thats all the spoilers you'll get until next week. Enjoy for now and Please review!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	7. Masquerade

Hi again everyone. I'm so glad that I still have so many readers! I've decided to post this chapter up early and return to my usual weekly posting date of Tuesday (or maybe Monday night depending on where you live) Also, for all you myspace junkies out there, I've updated my profile so it includes my myspace url, so feel free to add me.

**_SPECIAL THANKS TO: _**PhantasyDreamer, sailorceb, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, Aislinn Cailin, star4u, Kana07, moonrabbit04, CharmedSerenity3, SiLvErMoOnWiNg, twilight dawn, PazaakGirl, Allison, merangelgal, vaunam, ffgirlmoonie, LadyAkina, serenity11287 **_and _**SulliMike23 **_for reviewing my latest chapter_**

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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 7- Masquerade

"Do I really have to dress up tonight?" Darien whined and rolled his eyes.

"Yes you do. Stop acting like a child." Andrew attached another balloon to the helium tank and attempted to keep the rest of the balloons away from the multitude of lava lamps that littered the arcade.

"Two fads at the same time? Wow Andrew, you're really outdoing yourself now. Balloons AND lava lamps. I'm impressed. How do you keep everything from breaking and popping?" Darien leaned forward on his stool.

"Don't try to change the subject, Dar. You're going to arrive and stay in a full suited costume whether you like it or not." Andrew stifled a grin as Darien frowned deeply and simply glared menacingly at his best friend. "What?" Andrew smiled innocently

"Do I _look_ like someone who has a wardrobe full of party and dress up costumes?" Darien stated blandly.

"I don't know... that sweater you wore last year _did _make you look like Franken-broccoli..."

"Andrew!"

"What?! It did! You even scared the little kids away!" Andrew chuckled.

"Well how was I to know it was Halloween?"

"My point exactly. Either way, you need a costume, and before you say anything, a plain tuxedo wont cut it prince charming. Jilted groom doesn't count as a disguise."

_Damn. No Tuxedo Mask disguise for me then._

"I think you're overlooking one very important fact, my dear friend." Andrew watched his best friend struggle to come up with a costume.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Darien pouted and scrunched up his nose.

"I _own_ a costume shop."

* * *

_**Ring Ring Ring**_

"Hello?" Serena pounced on her telephone. She had only just arrived back at home and needed to quickly get ready for the masquerade. It was 6:15 and the party had already started.

"Heaven-o Serena!" Andrew's cheery voice greeted her on the other side of the line.

"Oh, Andrew! I was just getting ready for the masquerade tonight."

"Oh good! I just called to ask what you were coming as."

"Umm... a princess." Serena blushed slightly. The thought had crossed her mind to dress as her alter ego, Sailor Moon, but she banished that thought as it would have given away her true identity too easily.

"Goodie." Andrew grinned. "Because my parents happened to hire a pumpkin shaped Cinderella type horse-drawn carriage for the night and it would serve no purpose other than to sit at the front of the hall all night and give charity rides. So i was simply wondering if you needed a ride to the party tonight?"

"That'd be so helpful Andy." Serena's eyes lit up with sheer delight. Tonight was going to be the first night in a very long time where she would be able to relax and not care about anything other than having fun. Since it was a masquerade, her identity, as well everyone else's would be shielded by elaborate masks. Just for tonight, she would escape from reality and delve into a world of mystery and magic.

"That's no problem. The carriage will be ready and waiting at the front of your house by 7."

"Thank you, Andrew." Serena smiled and hung up the phone before looking herself over in her mirror. She sighed disappointedly. "What am i going to do about all these bruises?" She asked her reflection while absentmindedly reaching for her powdered concealer.

* * *

Serena stepped out of her sparkling silver carriage and was escorted up the stairs of the Sakura Community Center by her rider. Delicate pink Sakura blossoms flit down from the heavens. She entered the large hall and was greeted by the breathtaking sight of a colorful hall filled with ellaborate costumes and decorations. Soft music played gently in the background as couples swayed gently on the dance floor. The alight hum of hushed voices could be heard around the hall, and it came to her attention that a few heads were turned her way.

"Your invitation, miss?" A tall masked man stood beside her at the doorway. Serena handed him the slip of ivory colored card and he nodded in approval. "And your identity for tonight?"

"Serenaaaaahhhflaflaaaauum..." She needed a new identity, one that she was comfortable with, but not too familiar. "Umm... Seren... Serenity. Princess of the..." Her gaze fell to the window outside. "Princess of the Moon." She fumbled nervously, looking down at all the people below her. She couldn't recognize anyone at all. The soft sound of a buffered gong drew the attention of all in the large hall.

"Introducing Princess Serenity, of the Moon."

All bowed slightly as she slowly and cautiously made her way down the stairs towards the dance floor. The soft white fabric of her dress swished around her legs as she took one slow step down at a time, trying as hard as she could not to snag her pearl white heels onto her gold trimmed dress.

"Ahh, Princess Serenity." A taller than usual man clad in white bell bottom flares and a tie dyed shirt approached Serena. He sported a very large silver peace sign around his neck, an over sized rose colored mask in the shape of glasses and a huge afro that seemed to be unintentionally retaining a few pieces of popcorn and random streamer ends. "I see the carriage served you well." He offered a hand.

"Andy?" Serena looked up at the man, who wore rather large platform shoes to match his outfit.

"Hush hush. No Andy's around here. Tonight, I go by Ricardo da Fro." Andrew flashed his winning smile and assisted the young maiden down the stairs. "Now, I know you may not know very many people here tonight, so I took it upon myself to find you a chaperon so you didn't spend the night alone and lost. Unfortunately, among the sea of masked faces, I lost him. But I think he's a little this way." Andrew guided Serena through the masses, pointing out everyone she might know.

"You remember my girlfriend, Rita? I told you she loves geology, but tonight she's dressed as a beetle. Well, Ringo to be more precise." Andrew pointed out. "And there's Melvin, he goes to your school, doesn't he? Well as you can see, he's a worm... in a book." Serena cringed and looked away before Melvin recognized her. "There's Chad over there, as a post-it note..." Andrew weaved through his guests until he came across a familiar looking masked hero. "Ahh, just the man I was looking for." Andrew stopped merely a few feet away from the dark haired, armour-clad warrior who turned his gaze towards the pair. His breath caught in his throat and his frame stiffened. It was the princess in his dreams of late. She stood before him in flesh. A white feathered mask sat on the bridge of her nose. Her gold trimmed white dress fell freely to the floor and swayed gently around her. Long smooth golden locks spilled over her shoulders and down past her hips.

Serena stopped dead in her tracks as her chaperon for tonight stood straightly before her. He was shielded in full battle armour. A large metal chest plate sat firmly across his chest and down his abdomen. Two metal brooch sized pins sat on each collarbone, serving to hold in place the velvety cape that reached down to his leather boots, and conceal his sheathed sword. A white domino mask firmly sat in place to disguise his true identity. Serena could feel her knees trembling. He was the man from her dreams. He was...

"Princess Serenity of the Moon, I would like to introduce to you your chaperon for tonight. This is Prince Endymion, warrior and protector of the Earth. Enjoy your night guys and be nice." Ricardo da Fro eyed Endymion behind his mask, bowed and stepped away into the crowd.

"You..." Serena whispered under her breath.

"Princess..." The masked man bowed low and gently pressed his lips against the back of Serena's hand.

"It's really you." The touch of his hand was enough to send shiver across her whole body. Serena thought she was going insane. The line between her reality and her dreams was a huge blur. She no longer knew what to believe. Questions and confusion crammed her fragile mind all at the same time. Her mind grew hazy and clouded over. Her legs grew weak, and she felt herself slip away from one dream-like state, into another. She lost consciousness and fell into the arms of her chaperon.

* * *

"Endymion?" Serena fell through the darkness, into a misty corridor of doorways. "Endymion are you in here?" She cautiously turned the knob of one door and peered in to see a dark, empty room. "Endymion... I'm scared." She quickly peered into another room, and another, and another, but to her dismay, all were empty. Serena finally reached the end of the hallway and turned the doorknob to the final room. It unlocked and opened. She peered inside to see the warm glow of a roaring fireplace and the back of a large throne. "E... Endymion?" Serena's voice faltered as her heartbeat pulsed faster and faster.

"Princess?" The prince's form emerged from behind the throne. "Princess, what are you doing here?" His head tilted to the side slightly, letting the glow from the flames grace the side of his face.

"I... I don't know." Serena stuttered nervously while slowly walking towards her prince. "I'm scared." She admitted and when she was within reach, she leaped into the arms of her ethereal protector. To her comfort and surprise, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I'll protect you, Princess. You're safe with me. Stay with me, my princess." He soothingly ran his fingers through her locks. Serena nuzzled into Endymion's warm embrace but even though she tried as hard as she could to hold him tightly, she could feel herself slipping away.

"No. What's going on? I don't want to go." Serena felt herself becoming lighter and her surroundings becoming sketchier. Endymion's gaze lifted upwards and he attempted to disguise a scowl.

"You're being summoned. Someone is concerned for you. Go to them for now, but come back to me." Endymion frowned and reluctantly released his princess.

* * *

Serena shuddered as she returned to reality. She found herself wrapped snuggly within a thick velvety cape. Her hair was being gently caressed away from her face and she seemed to be lying on something firm and warm. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying on masquerade Endymion's lap, in the rented Cinderella carriage.

"Good morning, Princess Serena." The masked stranger spoke up. He was still absentmindedly stroking her hair when she reached up and removed his mask slowly, as if to ask for permission. He didn't object.

"D... Darien?" Serena sat up abruptly. "W...What are you doing?" She looked outside the carriage and found that they were stationary, outside the community hall.

"You fainted inside. I didn't want to concern everyone so i carried you out here until you came to." He replied simply.

"Oh no. What time is it? I'm so sorry if I ruined the night for you. Andy isn't worried is he? Oh I ruined the party."

"Serena! Calm down. It's ok. Everything is fine and under control. It's 11:45." Darien explained calmly. There was something about the way Serena looked tonight that triggered a relaxed side of Darien. He was comfortable and content just being around her. It didn't matter that she was unconscious for most of the night. If she weren't there, he still wouldn't have had many people to talk to anyway.

"What?! Already? Oh I did ruin the night for you. I'm sorry you had to get stuck baby sitting me. It's all my fault. You didn't even get to dance or have fun or anything." Serena huffed in disappointment, tears filling her eyes.

"Ruin? Nonsense. There's still time for one last dance, that is, if you're feeling up to it." Darien reached and opened the carriage door. Serena nodded eagerly. "Well then, mil'ady, I shall be more than happy to escort you inside." Darien offered his hand to which Serena cautiously accepted.

* * *

"I'm glad to see you're alright now, 'Rena." Andrew smiled wholeheartedly as the duo walked back into the hall. "You made it back in time for the last dance."

"And the first, so it seems." Darien added with a cheeky grin. "Lucky you." He quipped, which made Serena roll her eyes and poke her tongue out playfully. The slow soft music began to sound the last dance. Once again, Darien bowed and offered his hand.

"My beloved princess, may I have this dance?" His deep azure eyes sparkled with mirth. It was hard for Serena to decipher if he was mocking her or being serious.

"Of course, my wonderful prince." Serena eventually grinned as she took his hand and together, they swayed gently across the dance floor. Some time passed and Serena allowed herself to close her eyes and gently rest her head upon Darien's chest plate. She sighed in the contentment of having at least one dance that night. Even though she was at total ease, she couldn't help but feel strange about enjoying a dance with Darien.

"Darien?" She whispered and tried not to pull away as she looked up at him.

"Hmm?" His gaze had already been set to the young woman he was partnered with, but he loosened his hold around her waist.

"Why... are you so nice to me tonight?" She wondered why she had to have picked this moment of all to play 20 questions and hoped to God she hadn't ruined the moment.

"Well, why is it you ask? Does meatball head miss being teased? If you want I can go back to-"

"No no no!" Serena interrupted. "It's just so... different. I just wanted to know." She sighed in defeat and went back to resting her head on his chest.

"A number of reasons." Darien's gaze shifted. He wasn't used to explaining his actions. "Firstly because Andrew asked me to." They continued to sway slowly and gently. "Secondly, you're not you an I'm not me. I'm Prince Endymion of the Earth who is currently dancing with Princess Serenity of the Moon. And Thirdly..." Darien trailed off slightly.

"Thirdly?" Serena looked up once again, feeling slightly dejected by his first two reasons.

"Thirdly... because... I want to." Darien admitted, mainly to himself.

"You want to?" Serena's quite voice questioned.

"Yeah. But don't think I wont still pick on you, meatball head." A smile tugged gently on his lips as he lightly bopped one of Serena's hair buns.

The final notes of the last song clung desperately to the air before coming to a silent end. Last pleasantries were exchanged as guests began leaving and congratulating Andrew on such a wonderful party and shouting well wishes for him and his family. The clean up crew arrived and the sound of tables and chairs being stacked away filled the previously serene community hall. A large clock began to chime, signaling midnight.

"Come on Princess. Let's get you home before you turn back into a pumpkin."

"Cinderella doesn't turn into a pumpkin, her carriage does, and anyway, I'm not Cinderella." Serena retorted.

"And as I said, before you turn into a pumpkin..." Darien flashed a cheeky smile which earned him a swat across the arm.

"It being midnight and all, it's kinda good to have the old jerk back. I was starting to get worried."

"You worry about me? Wow meatball head, I'm touched!" Darien mock wiped a tear away form his eye.

* * *

"This is my place." Serena stopped by a white wall. "Thank you for walking me home, and thank you for tonight." She smiled and walked up to her front door. Pausing for a moment, she turned and looked back at Darien. "So... same routine tomorrow... conceited creep?"

"Maybe." He shrugged with a cool smile. "Most likely." He added and paused, "But, then again... Maybe not." And with that, he watched as his princess slid behind the door of her fortress and made her way to her bedroom, in the sky.

_Fourthly, _he thought to himself, _because I know... I can see what you're going through. You don't have to hide behind your mask. I can feel your pain. I know you're tired but you won't go through this alone... Sailor Moon._

* * *

And there we have it. The Masquerade. There are still quite a few chapters to go, I've already pre-written about 2 more and i must say, it does get a little confusing at the climax of this story so please bare with me while i work on this a little more and try to work out the kinks in the storyline. That's usually why i update a chapter every week, so it gives you guys the security of knowing when i'll update next, and it gives me a bit of time to work out any flaws between my chapters. Mind you, i'm going to be late for my next class :o) Please review!

**_Crystal Saturn_**


	8. Paint A Pretty Picture

Welcome to my playground of DOOM. Ahem. Sorry. Here's the latest chapter. I have a new short story which i will be posting very soon. It's called Homo-What?! And unlike this story, it's a little light hearted humorous fic. I thought i needed a break from writing dark dreary depressing scenes and you guys needed a break from reading them. So please check it out and tell me what you think.

**Thanks to:** PazaakGirl, skye668, Aislinn Cailin _(thanks for your feedback. In this story, Serena tends to go through strong and weak phases. She'll bounce back soon enough.)_, merangelgal, PhantasyDreamer, Gr33nJ3w3lRain, MegTao, genocide-bloodshed, Sad4ngel _(yep you're right which is why Serena's confused. She's starting to find it hard to tell when she's awake or dreaming)_, x.spanish.eyes.x, ffgirlmoonie, sailorceb, Usagi-Tsukino-uf06_ (aww glompy to you too! hehe)_, serenity11287, CharmedSerenity3, SiLvErMoOnWiNg, moonrabbit04, SulliMike23 **and** Kana07

In response to the "how did Darien figure it out?" reviews- in the last few chapters i had him watching both Sailor Moon and Serena carefully. He noticed they were both acting the same. He just put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I like to leave a few blanks and open endings in my chapters just cause i know you guys are smart enough to fill them in. Assume all you like and let your imagination run with it. Just a note- Darien in the Sailor Moon mangas kinda figured it out too.

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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 8- Paint a Pretty Picture

"So what's the deal with you collapsing, 'Rena? You had me really worried last night." Andrew inquired while setting up his troll dolls around the counter. "It seems to be happening a lot lately."

"I know." Serena sighed. "I don't know why either. I think it has to do with everything that's happening in my life. I just have so much to worry about. Lately, I've been having the strangest dreams, and when I sleep, it's like my body isn't resting at all. I wake up in the morning and I'm still exhausted, then I have to run to school. I get to school and get in trouble for not paying attention, but I am. I'm trying so hard. Then I have to run to work, or to scout meetings. And then there's the pain of being a sailor scout. I run around trying to kick butt even though my tiara stopped working, and what thanks do I get for it? Scars, bruises and burns. I can't even talk to mum about anything. Lately she's been so moody, complaining that I never do enough around the house and telling me that she's struggling to look after my brother and I." Teary eyed, Serena tried to keep a brave face. She lifted up a green haired troll and pressed on the jewel in it's belly. "I'm just so tired, Andy."

"Oh Sere... You need to get more rest. Try to find a creative outlet for all your stress. Most of this is because you're keeping it bottled up inside. Have you tried talking to the other scouts about this? You need to do something that'll take your mind off of everything. Something relaxing. How about painting?" Andrew suggested.

"I can't talk to the scouts. The wouldn't understand. They'd probably just tell me to suck it up and try harder. And I can't paint either. I'm just not any good at it."

"Well, you don't have to be. No one has to see your paintings either. It's just something you can do to help you relax and take your mind off things." Andrew added.

"Hmm... you know, I think I might try that after all. As long as no one has to see them." a soft smile played on Serena's lips. "I always wanted to be able to paint. Thanks for the idea, Andy." She slowly slid off her bar stool and headed off to the little art shop around the corner.

* * *

"I'm home!" Serena swung open her front door, struggling to carry all her new art books, paints and canvases. Her declaration was met with silence. No one was home. "I should've known." She sighed as she dragged all her gear upstairs, into her bedroom and set everything out, ready to start painting. She sat down at her desk and picked up a piece of charcoal.

"Alright muse... inspire me." Serena grazed her charcoal against a leaf of paper in her art book. Within minutes she had the basic outline and finger shading for a dark fairy princess. She leaned back to admire her work. Her fairy was sitting alone on a stone wall. Her wings were tattered and wet from the rain. She was cold and dejected. Serena smiled and gently set aside her fairy to start something new.

Hours later, she had successfully sketched many a fairy, goblin and bunny. She had attempted to paint a dragon and a unicorn and doodled demon bats, sprites, fireballs and cute little cherubs. Over all, she had created over 20 works of art. Feeling quite satisfied with herself, she removed her apron and laid herself down on her bed sleepily. She drifted off into her first dreamless slumber in months with her paintbrush still in hand.

* * *

Beedip beedip. Beedip beedip.

Serena groaned as she rolled over in bed. The sun had long set and all that Serena could see in her room was a dim red glow coming from her bag.

"Ughh... Not now." She grappled around her desk, successfully locating and switching on her desk light. Looking around, Serena pounced on her bag and yanked out her communicator.

"Finally!" Sailor Venus' face appeared on the small screen. "Girl, were you sleeping?" She asked.

"Uhh..." Serena murmured once again while rubbing her eyes.

"No time to chat. BIG sailor business down at the park. We need you NOW Sailor Moon. It's crazy down here!" Venus squealed as she dodged a fireball "Hurry!" She yelled before disappearing from the screen. Serena closed her communicator and tucked it away, transforming into her alter ego, Sailor Moon. She quickly surveyed her room and noticed her paintings and sketches were all missing and replaced with blank canvases and sheets of paper.

"Sammy!" Serena hollered, quite annoyed at her little brother's mischievous antics. "How many times have I told you not to touch my stuff?" _I'm so going to get that brat when I get back._

* * *

Sailor Moon finally managed to drag her feet to the location of the youma attacks. She glanced around at her surroundings, fully aware that she could be an easy target while she was standing in an open field such as the park. She quickly ducked behind a tree and continued searching for evidence of a fight or battle.

ROARRGHHH!

"What in the world is that thing?" Serena gazed up into the night sky to see a flicker of something dark and big heading towards her. It was soaring and cutting through the air like a fish in the water, moving in smooth precise zig zag movements. It's body was long, with scales to protect it, yet this was no mere serpent. It breathed fire, and mythologically speaking, it was the greatest being of all. A midnight blue and gold dragon was heading straight towards Sailor Moon, and she was too frozen in fear and realization to move. "That's my dragon..."

"Sailor Moon! What are you doing?! Blast that thing!" Sailor Mars and the rest of the scouts could be seen chasing after the soaring dragon.

"Moon Tiara..." Sailor Moon concentrated her energy into spinning the magical diskette. "Magic!" She closed her eyes and released the energy discus towards the dragon. The Sailor Scouts watched as the dragon stopped dead in it's tracks and roared with such ferocity that it could've been mistaken for a bolt of lightning splitting a tree. The tiara seemed to react to the dragon's command, swiftly maneuvered around the back of the dragon and headed straight towards Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter shouted, almost instinctively.

"I..." Sailor Moon stood, staring at the golden plate cut through the air. "I can't move!" She screamed in sheer terror. Within moments, a razor blade rose pierced through the air and pinned the spinning tiara down to the ground. He had scooped her up into his arms and out of harms way, as an extra precaution. "My... My tiara still isn't responding to me." She looked up, teary eyed, at her savior.

"You need to believe in yourself, and your abilities, Ser... Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Mask lifted her chin up, so they made eye contact. "You can do this. Your powers come from your heart." He gently traced a gloved finger along her jawline. "I believe in you. Try again."

"It wont work. I created that. It came from me, from my paintings." Sailor Moon shook her head in dismay.

"That's right, Sailor Moon." The deep azure dragon roared once more before dissipating into a whiff of thick black smoke. "You caused all this chaos." Smoke soon formed into a solid dark figure that began to advance towards Sailor Moon. It released smaller orbs of dark energy which turned into evil sprites, demon bats, goblins and fireballs that scattered around the city, causing much mayhem and mischief.

"Knight of Darkness..." Serena murmured in recollection.

"Don't listen to him, Sailor Moon. None of this is your doing." Tuxedo Mask hollered as the other scouts attempted to stop the sprites and other beings.

"No, he's right. This is my fault. This is all my doing." Sailor Moon sniffled quietly to herself. Tuxedo Mask placed a gentle hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder. She glanced up at him and saw the confidence he had for her through his white mask. It gave her self esteem a slight boost, knowing that she had someone to look out for her. Someone who believed and trusted in her. "No... you're right. I won't give up." She hastily brushed her tears away with the back of her hand. "I won't let you bring me down."

"It's too late, Sailor Moon. This will all be over soon. I told you I'd be back for you. I'm here now, and there will be no escaping this time." The dark apparitional figure engulfed Sailor Moon and within moments, it had drained itself into her body.

"Venus! Mars! Jupiter! Mercury!" Tuxedo Mask called just as Sailor Moon slowly began to slip towards the ground. He held her close and attempted to awaken her sleeping form.

"What happened?" Mercury was first to return to her leader. She began to check for any abnormalities as the masked man recalled all that had just occurred.

"Step back please, Mercury." Mars stepped up, holding a talisman. "Aku ryo tai san!" She commanded strongly. Sailor Moon continued to lay motionless. She was growing colder by the second. "Why isn't it working?" Mars growled under her breath. Moments later, the dark entity escaped Sailor Moon's body and retreated into the night sky. A sharp gasp of air broke the silence, and Sailor Moon was once again conscious.

"I'm alright." She answered before anybody could ask. "I'm fine."

"Geez Meatball brains, you almost get yourself killed and you don't even thank me for saving your butt? Some great leader you are." Mars sniped.

"I just..."

"Yeah, you always just this, and you always just that. You always just make up excuses. Have you noticed that you're always the target? Do you know why? It''s because you're the weakest one here." The fiery scout added.

"I think you're going a little overboard here." Mercury defended.

"No, she has a point. As a leader, Sailor Moon should be stronger and ready for whatever the enemy throws at her." Venus supported Mars' argument.

"That's exactly my point!" Sailor Mars continued her hot headed rampant. "You're just a lazy scatterbrained whining crybaby that always jeopardizes our missions. You're a lousy leader and one day you're just going to get us all killed."

"Mars! You're out of line!" Tuxedo Mask interjected. "You have no right to-"

"No." Sailor Moon interrupted. "You know what? You're right. I don't want to be Sailor Moon. I never wanted to be leader of the Sailor Scouts. All I ever wanted was to be a normal teenage girl living a normal teenage life." She picked up her dull tiara and hurled it at her fellow scout. "Here! You wanted it so badly, take it! It's not like it worked for me anyway." She stormed off defiantly, leaving everyone to contemplate the resignation of their leader.

* * *

Serena slipped into her bedroom quietly, to find that all her paintings had returned back to normal. She reached for a pair of scissors and began to aggressively tear away at the canvas and all of her other pieces of art.

"Well... Andrew was right. I guess that was good stress relief." Serena sighed bitterly. She knew she hadn't disposed of her Sailor responsibilities that easily, and she was no longer mad at Raye's outburst. It was mostly all true. She wasn't a bad leader, but she was by no means the poster girl for miss super teen idol. "But at least Tuxedo Mask is on my side..."

"Princess... Come back to me..." Serena's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar, deep male voice.

"Who's there?" She bolted up in bed and looked around her room, attempting to find the source of the husky voice. "Where are you?"

"You promised you'd come back to me."

"P...Prince Endymion?" Serena questioned her room once more. Shadows flickered across her room and her pulse began to drum in her ears.

"Come back."

With every breath she took, Serena felt herself becoming heavier and heavier. Her chest felt as though it was being squeezed tightly. Her eyes played tricks on her as shadows cast themselves upon her walls, leaping around her room freely. A sharp pain sliced through her and she squirmed violently, clutching her chest and gasping for air. She breathed in, but nothing. It felt as though she was drowning. Sinking into the abyss. Immense pressure crushing her chest. She felt heavy. Weighed down by all her burdens. She refused to be seduced into unconsciousness, but she knew she wouldn't be able to help it. Unable to stand the pain any longer, she began to relax and accept whatever was causing this.

She wondered if she would see her friends again. If she made it through this, she decided she would thank Tuxedo Mask. He seemed to understand her more than anyone else. It was as though he knew all the trouble she went through. He was the source of her hope and her confidence. He was the reason why she was still determined to fight. He had seemed different recently, but now, there was something that made Serena want to get to know him better. She knew he wasn't the enemy all along, but now there was something more to him. Something that made her want to fight harder and stronger than she had ever fought before. He believed in her and she wanted to be right beside him, fighting all the way. She wanted to show him that she could make it through, because he had faith in her. She wanted something more than what they already had with him, so much more.

Serena succumbed to the supernatural power that had a hold on her. She was too tired to fight anymore. For now, she would just give in and let go. Her muscles relaxed as she slowly laid back onto her bed. She was feeling heavier and heavier by the second. Instead of fighting it, she merely allowed it to overcome her until she felt as though she was falling into the murky unknown. Her eyes drooped shut and she began to uncontrollably drift off into her mystical dream land, seemingly by the will of another mysterious force. One completely out of her control.

* * *

A.N- Another chapter done. Thank you all for your reviews. I know Serena may seem like a big weenie right now but there are reasons for that. Keep in mind that every time she sleeps her body isn't resting. It's like she's still awake but her mind is just in a different place, which explains why she's always tired. Ummm... please review. I'll be posting another chap next week.

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	9. What You Won't Reveal 'Talk To Me'

Ahh its the latest chapter! Kinda a slow one. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter as well as my latest mini-story **Homo-What?! **A million thanks!!

**Thankies to:** x.spanish.eyes.x, Gr33nJ3w3lRain, CharmedSerenity3, Endy's Girl, MegTao, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, Usagi-Tsukino-uf06, SiLvErMoOnWiNg, supersaiyanx, sailorceb, Caytlyn Rose, v1cky84, SulliMike23, ffgirlmoonie **and** Gomen Nasi **for reviewing the last chapter**

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 9- What You Won't Reveal/Talk To Me

"Hi Serena." Mina cautiously sat beside her close friend at the arcade. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine." Serena stated simply, not tearing her eyes away at the chocolate milkshake in front of her. "Just fine."

"Serena, please don't be like this." She watched as her friend and fellow scout yawned idly. "A lot of things were said last night but none of those things were intended to hurt you. We're trying to help you, Rena. Lately it seems like you've been spacing out and falling asleep a lot more. It's like it's so hard to reach you these days because your head's always in the clouds." Mina confessed. She didn't know what to do anymore. Raye's theory of tough love seemed to work at first, but now it only seemed to be running Serena into the ground more and more.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Mina." Serena yawned once more. "I'm just so tired."

"Well tell me, please, what can i do to help you?" Mina pleaded. "The girls and i spoke last night after the battle and we all came to a joint conclusion. We all want to help you, no matter what."

"Even Raye?" Serena raised a curious eyebrow.

"Yes, even Raye. She knows she was wrong to say what she did. She worries about you probably more than anyone else, she just has a funny way of showing it."

"Yeah, tell me about it." The exhausted blonde teen mumbled cynically.

"Come on, please Rena. Tell us what's wrong. We want you as our leader. You were the first and only Sailor Moon. But you've got to let us help you. We're a team, remember? But moreover, we're friends. And friends don't let other friends suffer alone."

"Friends don't rub it in their friends faces when their tiara doesn't work either." Serena quipped spitefully, but soon calmed down once more and reasoned with herself. "Look, Mina. I'm sorry about the way i've been acting lately too. I haven't been the leader everyone expects me to be. I'll try harder, i promise. But as for everything else that's happening in my life, that's my burden that i will deal with on my own. It's no one else's business but my own. I can deal with it. They're my problems. Thank you, Mina. You've been a loyal scout, but you can go tell the girls that i don't need their help. I can do this all on my own." Serena stubbornly refused to yield. "Now, if you'll please excuse me, i have urgent things to attend to." With that, Serena abruptly cut short their conversation, stood up and left, without once looking her friend in the eye.

* * *

She walked around the city for a while, before finding a seat on a wooden bench in the park on the other side of town. There she stared down the sun for a while, before turning her attention towards all the people who busily walked past. Did they know how it felt? Did they suffer day to day like she did?

"You know, you don't always have to put on a brave face."

Serena returned to watching the sun slip lower and lower in the sky. This unexpected comment hit her hard. She didn't want to, but she knew she had to. She steeled herself as he sat down on the bench beside her. She silently blinked away hot searing tears that made her eyes tingle.

"Where did you go, Serena?" He watched as she lowered her head, visibly holding back tears that threatened to spill from her ocean blue eyes. "You were never like this before. What happened to the carefree, vibrant Serena that we've all grown to know and love." She sniffled and he knew she was beginning to cry, but he charged on relentlessly. "What happened to you, Meatball Head? You've changed so much, it's like you're not even you anymore. I don't know who you are. Your friends don't know who you are. You've disappeared without a trace and you're not giving any hints as to when you've gone."

"Why are you even here, Darien?" Serena stifled back sobs. "Why do you care?"

"You know, you remind me a little of someone i know." Darien sidestepped the question. He leaned over and plucked a young rose bud from within his coat jacket. Twirling it within his fingers, he continued. "She fights so hard every night, but no one notices. She's always trying and she always gives hope to those all around her. Lately though, she's been so busy giving hope to every one else that she's barely left any for herself. She's been trying so hard to be someone she's not, someone she doesn't want or need to be. She's loved by everyone she meets, but recently, she's been pushing them all away."

"You didn't answer me." Serena tried to control herself amongst fits of tears. "Why are you telling all this to me? Why do you care?"

"Because i've watched you these past few weeks Serena. I always watch over you, to make sure you're ok. You just don't know it. I've seen you walk into the arcade every day, more and more tired. You're slowly dying day by day. You think that no one else sees it. No one else notices, but i have."

"Oh yeah? Is that right now? Well what about your friend? Why don't you go council her about her problems. I dont need this from you, thank you very much Dr. Phil."

"I would, but she's not really listening to me right now. Isn't that right, Sailor Moon?" Darien tilted his head towards the blonde beauty before him.

"Excuse me?" Serena spluttered in shock.

"You heard me."

"I don't have the slightest clue about what you're talking about but you're clearly delusional. I think you're the one that needs to go home and ta..." Serena caught a glimpse of the red rosebud being skillfully twirled between Darien's fingers. She shook her head, refusing to believe what was being implied.

"I think you understand now."

"How did you... Why are you..." A million questions whizzed through Serena's mind at once.

"You don't think i wouldn't notice when both you and Sailor Moon were slipping up royally?" Darien absentmindedly ran his fingers through his dark hair.

"But that would mean that you're..." Serena pointed at the rose in Darien's possession accusingly. "You must be..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Tuxedo Mask." He confirmed for her.

"Oh god." Serena struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. "Why are you telling me this?"

"It's only fair, since i found out your identity Meatball Head, that you know mine. And besides, i know how it feels to be under so much pressure. To have people expect so much from you."

"You do?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, no. Not really. But i do know what it feels like to be alone. Which i bet is how you've been feeling lately. Like no one understands what you're going through. No one sees that you're trying your best. You feel insignificant and unappreciated. Serena didn't respond for a while. She sat quietly on the wooden park bench, her head bowed and her gaze lowered.

"I hate you." She shuddered slightly.

"What?" Darien turned swiftly towards the girl.

"You're such a jerk to me. You're always teasing me. You're always making fun of me. You're the last person i'd ever want to talk to about my problems. I hate you because you're the one and only person in the world that understands me the most. I hate you because you're the only person that has always had faith in me unconditionally, even if you didnt know it was me. Most of all, I hate you, Darien, because i feel like i can talk to about anything and everything, and i don't know why."

"Strange huh?" A comforting smile spread upon Darien's lips as he placed a hand on Serena's shoulders. She glanced up at him and burst into tears. Darien looked down at the distraught girl and panicked. He had no idea what to do next. She was clearly upset, and he had no idea how to make her happy again. Hesitating slightly, he placed an arm gingerly around Serena's shoulders and brought her closer to him. He tensed slightly at the feeling of her arms slipping around his body as she held onto him closely, crying openly onto his chest. Her body trembled gently with every sob. Darien slowly began to relax as he raised a hand and started to comfort the young girl by brushing her hair away from her face.

* * *

"So, these dreams of yours, they feel real?" Darien inquired.

"Yes they do. It's almost like i'm really there." Serena sat on the bench next to the ebony haired man.

"And you've been having them every night now for a while, right?"

"Every night except for two nights ago. When i painted those pictures. Call it coincidence but those pictured came alive. We were fighting them. The dragon, the fireballs the pixies... they all came alive." Serena was fully aware of how crazy she sounded at the moment, and hoped to whatever supreme being in the heavens above that Darien did not judge her as cruelly as she imagined he would.

"Yeah that's a really strange coincidence." Darien agreed as he listened to the young blonde. He wasn't sure what to think at that moment. It sounded like a huge elaborate fictional story, but it did explain why all the monsters lately had been targeting Sailor Moon in particular. Serena didn't seem like the type of person to simply make up a story to gain pity and/or attention. She was a truthful person and innocent by nature. She had no motive to fabricate such a story.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Serena eagerly watched Darien's face, trying to read and decipher the expressions that presented themselves.

"I do!" Darien defended almost immediately. "It's just... It's very peculiar. It's a very difficult story to swallow."

"I...I'm not telling you to swallow anything." Serena blinked a few times, blankly staring at the man before her. "Why would you be trying to eat my story?" Serena frowned and scratched her head, feeling rather confused. Darien turned his head down to the girl next to him. She returned the gaze with her innocent blue eyes and he knew she was being serious. He let out a wholehearted laugh.

"It's just an expression, Sere." His laughter died down into a few chuckled between words. "It's not literal."

"Oh." Serena stated simply, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson colour from embarrassment. Darien laughed once more. Serena watched as his eyes lit up, turning a lighter shade of blue. His lips curved into a crooked smile. Everything about him seemed to come alive when he laughed, and she couldn't help but smile and giggle as well.

"It's good to see you smiling again, Meatball head." Darien noted. "You're much more fun to tease when you're happy."

"Hey!" Serena pouted. "You know, you're not exactly the poster boy for happiness yourself Mr. Mask."

"I know, but that's different. I'm being mysterious." He tilted his chin up and posed, causing Serena to smile once more.

"Sure." Serena rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. The conversation died down once more and the two of them sat there, silently on the park bench, watching as the street lights fluttered on.

"You know..." Darien spoke up once more, choosing his words carefully. "No matter what form you're in, or who you are, i'll be looking out for you. You don't have to go through this all alone." Tears formed once more in Serena's eyes. "I'm sure Raye and the rest of the Scouts are worried about you too. They want to try to help you through whatever you're going through, if you'd just let them. You don't have to hold the weight of the world upon your shoulders. We'll help you carry the load." Serena sat still and silent, listening to the words of the man she once called a jerk and an idiot. She nodded in understanding.

"I know. But sometimes i just feel like there are some things that i don't want to tell the scouts about. I know they're my friends and they want to help me, but there are some things that i just want to be able to do on my own. As a leader, as a friend and just as myself, i want to know that i can do this on my own. I can hold up and i don't need to rely on everyone to do everything for me."

"I know you're strong. I know you can do anything you set your mind to. But if you need any help, Meatball head... Just ask."

"Thank you, Jerkazoid." Serena smiled warmly and flung her arms around Darien once more. "Thank you for everything... again."

"Don't mention it." Darien smiled to himself as he returned the embrace.

* * *

Umm i hope you guys like the gradual transition from jerk Darien to supportive Darien. If you think it's going too fast then tell me. If not, then enjoy! Please review, and i'll see you all next week! Add me to your myspaces! The link is my homepage on my profile.

**_Crystal Saturn_**


	10. Romanticide

Hi everyone! I'm back after my year long (or longer) hiatus. I apologize, this has been one of the hardest stories I've had to write simply because it hits close to home and is sometimes quite depressing, but here I am again, to continue Only in My Dreams. Thank you for your continued support.

Thanks to: _PhantasyDreamer, Hotgirlow, sailormoon-is-eternal, chocolatelover1, abananasurplus, MegTao, Butterfle, CharmedSerenity3, sailorceb, daianapotter, SiLvErMoOnWiNg, Ginny Potter W, ffgirlmoonie, Usagi-Tsukino-uf06, Caytlyn Rose, merangelgal, supersaiyanx, v1cky84, Allison, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky_ and _SulliMike23_ for reviewing the last chapter

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 10- Romanticide

"Stay in my arms, forever." He held her close to his chest.

"I wish I could," Serena sighed contently. "You're the only one who believes in me. You're the only one I can trust with my feelings and my deepest, darkest thoughts. You're here for me."

"I always will be, Princess. I'll always be with you, watching and waiting. Stay with me Princess. Don't leave me."

"Prince Endymion," Serena looked up at her ethereal prince. She felt a little odd about having such a relationship with a figment of her imagination. "I feel safe when I'm with you, but this is just a dream." Her words echoed across the valley and as she uttered the last syllable, time completely stopped. The wind died down, letting the grass become still. Clouds remained motionless in the sky. The twittering of birds disappeared and silence blanketed the vanishing scenery. Endymion remained emotionless and silent as he too, began to slowly slip away from Serena's grasp. "No, Endymion, please don't go. I didn't mean it like that." She attempted to grasp onto his arm.

"Just a dream…" His voice faded into the silence as he vanished before her eyes, leaving Serena sitting, surrounded in darkness. Her world had disappeared. She closed her eyes, opening them to a frenzy of colour, her real world. Glancing over toward her alarm clock, Serena had ascertained that it was quarter past eight in the morning, and she was going to be late for school again. She rushed into the bathroom in an attempt to make herself presentable for school. As she did, she couldn't help but feel an uneasiness coming from within her chest. She felt rather melancholy and lonely, like she had been jilted. There was something odd about today. Time seemed to be going slower than usual. Serena ran back into her room, clad in her school uniform, after brushing her teeth and grooming her hair in her trademark style. She reached for her book bag and turned to run downstairs for a quick breakfast before bolting to school. As she did, she caught a glimpse of the time on her alarm clock. Eight sixteen.

* * *

The clock on the classroom wall seemed to stop whenever Serena took her eyes away from it. She was hungry and the day seemed to pass by excruciatingly slowly. Glancing out the window, she watched as another class had their sport lesson. Ignoring her own teacher's repetitive monotonous drones, she watched as the students outside split up into teams and began their basketball game. Dribble, dribble, pass, shoot. Pass, dribble, pass, pass, shoot. Serena rubbed her eyes in disbelief as the energetic movements and passes began to slow down as if someone was playing with the playback of a video. The basketball itself seemed to defy gravity as it leisurely launched and became suspended in the air. Serena looked around. There was not a movement in the classroom. Miss Haruna stood at the front of the class, her eyes semi closed in mid blink and her mouth gaping wide open, annunciating a word she read from her Shakespeare playbook. Every student was perfectly still. The clock on the wall had stopped ticking. Time had completely stood still.

Serena's heart began to pound in her chest as she started to panic. What was happening? Who was behind this? Why was this happening? Why was she the only one who wasn't frozen in time. A million questions raced within Serena's mind within the span of a second. Her heart sunk as the silence gave way to the sound of heavy footsteps. It was coming from the silent hallway and heading in her direction. She gripped the edge of her desk, desperately unsure of what to do. The footsteps stopped right outside the classroom door. Serena could see the silhouette of a tall figure from the small window on the door. It reached and slid the door open with ease, letting himself in, eyes glued to Serena.

"Endymion?" Serena breathed a sigh of relief. "What are you doing here? What's going on? Are you… are you really here or am I dreaming?" She stood up out of her seat to greet the tall armour clad man. He placed a hand on her shoulder to preserve the distance between them and to prevent Serena from coming any closer or moving away.

"Princess, I've requested on numerous occasions that you stay with me, for your own protection, but you refused my request every time. It's too late now. You've put yourself in harm's way. This is no longer a dream." His stern, cold demeanor made Serena anxious.

"What do you mean, Endymion?" She gazed up at him, attempting to decipher his cryptic message, but before any more could be said, he vanished and time resumed as normal.

"Serena Tsukino! What are you doing standing up in the middle of the soliloquy? What is the matter?" Miss Haruna frowned, a little taken back by the sudden interruption.

"Sorry Miss Haruna, I thought I saw a spider." Serena mumbled quietly, her head spinning from disorientation as she sat back down and remained quiet for the rest of the lesson.

* * *

  
The same event began to happen as soon as Serena left the school grounds, on her way home. She felt queasiness in the pit of her stomach and as she walked along the footpath, she noticed the cars beside her begin to slow down. The motion of the blossoms on the trees began to make her feel dizzy and, oddly enough, seasick. As she watched her surroundings warp in a sluggish manner, she failed to see the man turning at the same corner at that exact same moment. She marched into him with quite some force and in a scene that seemed to be out of a slow motion daydream, he began to fall backwards from the force, unintentionally pulling her down with him as a reflex. Even though all this was occurring at a snail's pace, Serena was effortless to stop it. Darien had his eyes shut and an arm around her waist, bringing her down on top of him. He must have reached out to steady himself. Just before the two bodies made impact with the ground, time stood still.

"So this is him?" Endymion stood beside the two. Serena attempted to wriggle out of Darien's grasp but to no avail. "This is the one."

"Endymion, what are you talking about?" Serena turned her head to face the prince.

"He's the one you spend your time thinking about, instead of me." Endymion turned his head away in disgust. "I've seen enough." He waved his hand and disappeared again, letting time resume its natural course. As they fell, Serena's head struck Darien's chin, causing him to bite down on his bottom lip. It began to seep blood and swell.

"I'm so sorry, Darien." Serena quickly reached into her bag and pulled out a clean handkerchief, applying a light pressure to Darien's lip.

"It's fine, Meatball head. There's not a day that passes where Cyclone Serena doesn't leave a trail of destruction, right?" He groaned slightly at her touch. Her serious eyes met his playful ones, and her expression softened. "Really," Darien began to reassure the concerned girl. "It'll be fine." At that moment, they both came to realize that Serena was still sitting, sprawled across Darien's lap. One of his arms was still resting on her waist. Before they could make any awkward movement to correct the situation, Serena's communicator began to wail loudly, giving Serena the perfect excuse to leap off Darien's lap and tug to lower her skirt.

"It looks like you're needed." Darien gently took hold of the handkerchief. Serena nodded, subconsciously reaching for her transformation brooch.

"Are you coming?" She nervously peered over to the man who was also her masked hero. Still feeling slightly awkward, she continued to tug on her skirt, trying to pull it down to cover more of her legs.

"I'll be there shortly." Darien nodded. "But the girls need you, now." He encouraged. He liked to make a fashionably late entrance, but more than anything, he liked to give Sailor Moon the opportunity to defeat any monsters or demons without his assistance. He knew she had the will and the power to do so.

Serena waited until she was out of sight before she dared to transform. She raced in the general direction of the park, where she could see a small cloud of dark energy begin to form. Stealthily, she dodged through the trees and shrubs until she came to the battle ground. Already, she could see Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus tied to nearby trees, their eyes closed in unconsciousness. Sailor Moon felt an uneasiness as her muscles began to feel weak. Her knees almost buckled under her weight. She felt as though the closer she got, the more her energy was weakening. A bright light hurled toward the two remaining Sailor Scouts as they attempted to attack. As Sailor Moon arrived, all four Sailor Scouts; Mars, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter were trapped, tied against trees and drained of all energy.

"Ah, see, I told you. I wasn't after any of you. In fact, all I wanted was your leader here. Sailor Moon." The dark clouded entity began to take shape, forming an armored man with broad shoulder. As he emerged from his cloud of darkness, Sailor Moon clutched at her chest, dropping to her knees, immediately feeling a surge of negative energy coursing through her.

"Prince Endymion? You're the Knight of Darkness, but why?" Sailor Moon gasped for breath, positioning a foot firmly on the ground in an attempt to rise.

"Pretty little princess. Aren't you just precious? Miss Sailor Moon, or as you like to be known as, Serena Tsukino. Yes, I know all about you Sailor Moon. I see everything. I know everything. Even the tiny little things that even your friends don't know about." The apparition smirked, knowing full well that Moon would not have the energy to fight back. She was weakened in his presence.

"Why are you doing this to me? You can't be Endymion. Who are you?"

"No, I think you'll find the question of your true self more befitting of this situation. Serena Tsukino, let us take some to take a good hard look at the real you. I want to unravel the real you, starting at the top layer. You're the crybaby of your group. The klutz. The constantly happy, nonchalant, ever hopeful, failure of a student. No matter how hard you try, you know you'll never pass your classes." The Prince watched comfortably as Sailor Moon squirmed and flinched. "You're the fall back girl at your place of employment. Everyone relies on you to fill in their shifts and you'll happily take on as many hours you can, because you don't want to disappoint anyone. It's a pity your laziness and lethargy is getting in the way though. You've slipped up a number of times haven't you, Miss Moon? In fact, you've slipped up so many times now that your manager is thinking of letting you go. You've let her down. You've let the whole team of staff down."

"That's not true." Sailor Moon gritted her teeth as she languidly attempted once again, to rise to her feet.

"Oh, but that's not even the tip of the iceberg. Serena Tsukino, the disappointment of a daughter. She can never wake up on time for school. She has to be told a number of times to complete her chores. She constantly comes home with appalling report cards. She can never get along with her younger sibling. More often than not, Serena Tsukino is a burden to her family." Prince Endymion seemed to relished at the sight of the once strong warrior being brought to tears by his mere words. Tears began to spring forth from her eyes as the words hit a number of nerves.

"Then there's Sailor Moon. The joke of a Sailor Scout who is unworthy of the title of leader. The weakest link in the chain of powerful heroines. The one who can never make it on time to essential Sailor Scout meetings. The one who, until recently, lost her own ability to vanquish monsters. Mars would make a much better leader than you, Sailor Moon. In fact, anyone would be better than a wailing, clumsy fool who constantly has to be rescued by her beloved masked man." A glimmer out of the corner of the Princes' eye distracted him and with a flick of his wrist he had surrounded the object of his attention in a cloud of dark energy. A deep voice groaned from behind a tree. Prince Endymion sneered at his prize. He motioned for the cloud to emerge and approach.

"Miss Moon, of all the agonies and failures you've experienced so far, I believe this one is your most painful." Endymion released the figure in the dark cloud just as vines emerged, binding his hands behind his back and his feet together, rendering him unable to move. His lip was still swollen from when she had run into him. He gazed over to the weakened Sailor Scout through his mask.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help you." He whispered solemnly. Sailor Moon shook her head as another tear seeped from her eyes.

"I don't understand." She shook her head and alternated glances between Prince Endymion and Tuxedo Mask.

"Sailor Moon, you're in a catch twenty two situation aren't you? On one hand, you want to prove your strength as a warrior of love and justice to your precious Tuxedo Mask by defeating all these monsters all by your little self, but on the other hand, if that were the case, then there would be no need for him to rescue you. Lucky for you, you're a complete and utter uncoordinated failure as a Scout anyway. You couldn't win his heart. He obviously shows no interest in you or he'd be around longer after the battle to see if you're alright."

"That's not true." Tuxedo Mask gritted his teeth as his binds began to tighten painfully.

"Oh but there's more. The icing on the proverbial cake. If it weren't enough to be jilted by the tall and handsome masked hero, you also find out that you're not good enough for his alter ego either. Yes, Serena Tsukino, who would have thought that Darien Chiba would be the apple of your eye? Who would have thought that you would fall in love with the one man who criticized you the most? It must hurt to know that the two men that you have been secretly harboring feelings towards are, in fact, the same person, and he, in either form, would not even come close to considering you as a friend, let alone a potential romantic partner. Breaks your heart doesn't it?"

"You're wrong. I don't know what you're talking about. Darien is my… friend." Sailor Moon clenched her jaw and steeled herself. Tightening her fingers into a fist, she collected all her energy and shakily rose to her feet. Reaching into the air, she summoned a new wand.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" She cried out as the wand began to react, sending beams of light energy towards the dark Prince. His form shook in disbelief as it dissolved, taking the binds that restrained the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask with him. Whatever small amount of energy Sailor Moon was able to muster up was consumed by the power of the new wand. Sailor Moon fell into an unconscious state into Tuxedo Mask's arms, de-transforming into her powered down state of Serena Tsukino. Tuxedo Mask held Serena's fragile body in his arms, checking over her to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"You're important to me too, Serena, Sailor Moon."

* * *

That's it until next week. Please review and I'll see you all soon.

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	11. She's So High

Hi everyone! As promised, the next chapter…

Thanks to: _KageNoNeko, SerentiyMoonGodness, skye668, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, snoopykid, Ldsprincess, MegTao, SulliMike23_ and _Lady Clark-Weasley of Books_ for reviewing the previous chapter

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 11- She's So High

The delicate plucking of her toes along the wisps of condensation. It tickled, and yet it felt so comforting. Serena's heart felt so light and carefree at this moment. She giggled as she danced along the soft fluffy tops of the cumulous clouds. Her toes tingled as the fluffs of cool air curled up around her feet, holding her weight and supporting her with a bounce. Serena felt as light as a feather. Her heart began to beat faster as a mischievous grin spread across her lips. She curled her fingers into fists of anticipation and held her breath.

One swift step after another. She opened her eyes at the last moment and awkwardly flapped her arms about herself as she leapt off the cloud. To her relief, she began to soar across the sky. The cool air was gusting across her rosy cheeks. A somersault. A twirl. She landed softly and gently onto another cloud and giggled innocently. Her heart was racing with adrenalin and the new sensation of weightlessness made her head spin. The soft feeling of the clouds between her toes was comforting, but it simply wasn't the same. She wanted to feel the rush. It wasn't long before she yearned to be flying among the clouds once again.

One swift step after another. She opened her eyes at the last moment and awkwardly flapped her arms about herself as she leapt off the bed. To her complete horror and shock, she experienced a sudden, shooting pain as she found herself on her bedroom floor. Serena yelped, trying to be quiet as she rubbed her right shoulder which had made the initial impact. She shook her head at her own stupidity, but moreover at the loss of such a lovely dream. It had been so long since she had had such a carefree feeling within her heart. Serena groaned and crawled back under her sheets, hoping her dream would resume as she closed her eyes and drifted off into a listless slumber.

The sun filtered her light across the bedroom and embraced Serena warmly. She squinted under the glare, and her eyelids fluttered open. She stretched and yawned loudly, feeling refreshed and energized. It was a feeling that she had not experienced in a long while. It was a welcomed change to her usual lethargy and morning feeling of apathy. She began to prepare herself for school, floating about the room gracefully on her toes. She felt happy today.

"Serena!" Ami called out after her friend. "Serena! You're early today! What's going on?"

"Good morning Ami" Serena smiled warmly. "Nothing, I just had a good sleep and woke up early today."

"I'm glad to see you smiling again, Serena." Ami noted Serena's light mood and warm smile. Something she hadn't seen in a long time.

* * *

"Mercury Bubbles, Blast!" The soldier of water announced as a flurry of bubbles gave way to a thick fog, limiting vision.

"Jupiter Thunder, Crash!" Lightning flashed through the dense fog, signaling the cue for a deep rumble from the dark horizon.

"Sailor M-"

"I'm on it!" Moon took a firm grasp on her tiara, not wanting to become too drained of energy by using her wand. All eyes fell upon the scout who seemed all too eager to dust this demon. "Moon tiara, Magic!" The gold disc rotated swiftly, fanning the thinning fog about as it spun toward its target. Within a split second, the tiara vanished, not even coming close to the monster. "No!" Sailor Moon cursed. Her tiara still wasn't obeying her commands. It reappeared on her forehead. She reached for it once again, with more determination. "Moon tiara, Magic!" Once again, her tiara fizzled and faded half way through its mission.

"Sailor Moon," Venus stepped forward, not quite knowing how to console her leader.

"No Venus, I'm going to make this work! I will." Moon reached for her tiara again. It lifted and molded into its glowing disc form. "Moon tiara, Magic!" Sailor Moon yelled, demanding that her weapon obey. "Tiara! Go!" She watched eagerly as the disc of light sliced through the air and fearsomely embedded itself into the monster's chest, rendering it a worthless pile of moon dust.

"You did it, Sailor Moon!" Her fellow scouts congratulated their leader and celebrated their victory. "The return of Sailor Moon." Mars patted Moon on the back. "Let's go for sundaes to celebrate."

"No thanks, Mars." Moon sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. "I think I'll just stay out here for a while. It's such a nice night. You guys go ahead. I'll be fine." She powered down into Serena and waved as her friends and fellow scouts began to leave.

Tuxedo Mask watched from behind the lighthouse as Serena sat herself down on a bench, furthest away from the cliff face. She sighed contently to herself. Gentle choppy waves lapped, distorting the reflection of the full moon. The beacon from the lighthouse above her rhythmically shined at predetermined intervals, bathing the coastline in short bursts of light. Sighs could be heard from below the cliff face, where the gentle waves crashed amongst the rocks, foaming and gurgling as they continued to play their steady rocking game of tag. Serena allowed her eyes to close as she focused on her other senses. Touch, sound, smell. A familiar scent was lingering in the air. A light musky floral scent. It seemed so familiar and yet, she couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was because it seemed like a strange smell to detect by the sea. Roses. How odd.

The crisp sea air driving up the cliff face sent chills down Serena's back and goose bumps across her arms. Her breathing deepened as she recalled her latest dream. How wonderful it would be if she could fly. Soaring effortlessly across the skies. Bounding lightly atop the soft gentle clouds. They seemed to move around her, quickly adapting to fill the hollows and depressions left by the weight of her feet. They lifted her up so she wouldn't fall through. Like on a giant jumping castle, Serena began to slowly bounce across these clouds. She giggled at the feeling of gravity pulling her back down towards the clouds. Her stomach felt as though it was still moving in an upwards motion. Serena opened her eyes and found herself in her flying dream once more. The soft white cumulous clouds spanned across the whole horizon. Serena felt safe here. She felt that even if she had a klutz attack and fell, the clouds would still catch her. It made her comfortable and confident. She looked at the edge of the large cloud mass she was standing on with excitement. Serena wanted to fly again. She wanted to experience that empowering feeling of freedom.

Darien watched as Serena stood up slowly, her eyes wide open. She stared at the edge of the cliff and a small smile graced her lips. Darien felt his heart sink as he raced toward the blonde girl. Her eyes were open, yet they seemed vacant and glazed.

"Meatball Head," He called out to her. She didn't react to his voice, only continuing to eye down the edge of the cliff. "Meatball head, what are you doing?" He reached her and stood by her side. There was still no reaction. She didn't even acknowledge his presence. It was as if she couldn't see or hear him. She seemed to be in her own world. Darien watched as Serena closed her eyes and swallowed. He saw her fingers ball into fists. Before he knew it, she was sprinting toward the edge of the cliff. He chased after her and tackled her to the ground. The freshly formed dew on the grass did little to slow their momentum. Darien struggled, attempting to subdue the squirming girl within his arms. She tumbled over his body and slid off the cliff edge. Darien leapt forward, grasping hold of her arm as she dangled perilously close to her death.

Serena's eyelids fluttered as she blinked away the remnants of her dreams and she yelped in pain. She felt as though her arm was being ripped from its socket. "Darien?" She surveyed her surroundings and realized that she was hanging off a cliff, Darien being the only thing stopping her from plummeting towards a cold, harsh death amongst the jagged rocks below. "Darien, help! Darien, please don't let go." Serena called out desperately as the man above her groaned, attempting to lift her.

"It's not my intention to let you jump off a cliff, Meatball Head." He let out another loud grunt and reached for her other arm, using all his upper body strength to pull her back to safety. Serena continued to desperately cling on to Darien's arm, even though she was now safely sitting on the ground.

"What happened?" Serena's voice quivered as she struggled to control her rampant heartbeat.

"What happened? Are you kidding me? You ran off the cliff!" Darien raised his voice in anger and disbelief as he pried the girl off him. "What were you thinking? I thought you said you were Ok. I thought you said you'd talk to me if anything was bothering you. You said I was your friend."

"I did! I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't mean to… I… I don't know what happened. One moment I was sitting on the bench… I was thinking of my dream… I didn't know that…" Serena struggled as the shock subsided and gave way to the reality and gravity of the situation. Tears filled her eyes as she began to shake uncontrollably. She was so close to death.

"Sere…" Darien pulled her close and held her tightly. "Don't cry. You just scared me. Please be more careful." He soothed as she clutched tightly to his shirt, crying openly and burying her face within his chest. It was clear that she had no idea of what had happened. She was just as confused and scared as he was, if not more. She had almost lost her life that night, and she didn't even know what she was doing. It couldn't have been easy regaining consciousness whilst hanging precariously off the side of a cliff.

"Thank you," Serena's voice quivered. "Thank you for being there for me, again." Darien simply held her closely in an attempt to settle and reassure the distraught girl. In amongst the sound of her sobs and the hush sighs of the waves below them, Darien could swear he heard the deep, echoing rumble of laughter.

* * *

That's the end of the chapter! See you all in a weeks' time for the next chapter. Until then, please review and let me know what you think.

Crystal Saturn


	12. Danger By Design

Once again, here's another update :)

A very warm thank you to:_** Fiery Dancer, CharmedSerenity3, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, RoyalLovers1418, SerentiyMoonGodness, MegTao, Halo 4360, rakusa**_ and_** KageNoNeko**_ for being wonderful and reviewing the last chapter :)

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 12- Danger by Design

Vibrant lights whirled past Serena in a phantasmal display. They rushed past her, down the murky hallway and around the corner, slamming into the room and exploding in a brilliant blaze. Out of curiosity, Serena quickened her pace and followed the path of the lights. Cautiously on her toes, she turned the corner and clutched at the wall for strength.

A dim blue light barely illuminated the cool room. The smell of chlorine and formaldehyde invaded Serena's senses as she clasped a hand over her face to block the odor. A cold chill drafted toward her from the wall of steel safe-like doors before her. As she gingerly stepped forth, her foot kicked against a tray lying on the ground, displaying an array of surgical equipment. The clattering of steel onto the ground was followed by the deafening sound of silence.

Serena looked up, only to see all 6 steel doors before her slowly swing open. Condensation began to pour from the refrigeration units, drifting down to the ground and creeping forth towards Serena. Without warning, the steel draws were cast out from their units and unhinged from the holdings. The stiff, pale bodies of her closest friends; Mina, Lita, Ami, Raye and Darien lunged toward her at alarming speed. A shriek caught at the back of Serena's throat as she closed her eyes, unable to think of anything else to do in the shocked state. Silence ensued, until a frozen hand grasped Serena's ankle and she released a blood curdling scream. She made the mistake of opening her eyes, only to see that she was surrounded by the frozen, not-quite-dead bodies of her discontented friends, looming above her forebodingly. One by one, they reached out to her. Their hands grasped around her neck, slowly choking her and stealing away her last breath.

"Serena! Wake up! Serena!" Raye took her friend by the shoulders and shook her strongly. Serena screamed once again and whimpered away from her grasp. Her eyes opened and light flooded her vision. She was met by the sight of Mina, Lita, Ami and Raye standing around her, concerned looks plastered all over their faces.

"A dream?" Serena shook her head, attempting to remove the last few images of her dream from her head. It seemed to completely seize her body. Her hands trembled and her heart pounded within her chest so vigorously that she could swear she and everybody in the room could hear it.

"It was all just a dream, Serena." Lita slowly took deliberate steps towards the shaken girl, reaching out to steady her hands. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine, I think." Serena nodded slowly, forcing a smile through her uncertainty.

"Serena, you look like you need a break. I think we all need a bit of a break from this study session. How about we go shopping for a while?" Mina suggested warmly. The others nodded their heads in agreement. They all knew that Serena was having a hard time finding solace in her slumber. It bothered them that she was on the receiving end of such disturbing visions. Little did they know of the morbid extent of her dream.

* * *

"This one would look gorgeous on you, Sere!" Mina held up a crisp white blouse.

"But it is getting colder, maybe a sweater would be a better option?" Ami suggested, pointing to a table of folded knitwear. Serena nodded silently, smiling in gratitude as she picked up a pink turtle neck knitted sweater.

"I think I'll try this one on." She murmured in a dazed state as she walked towards the fitting rooms. Serena felt somewhat fascinated by the sweater. It was her favorite color, and looked warm and inviting. She slipped it over her top and relished in the feeling of softness around her.

"Serena? How are you going in there?" Raye tapped on Serena's fitting room door. Serena emerged with a broad smile across her face.

"I like this one." She smiled happily.

"It looks good on you 'Rena. Can I just quickly borrow your change room to try on a couple things?" Raye held up a knee length skirt and a few blouses.

"Sure, I'll just sit here." Serena nodded, taking a seat on a padded chair near the fitting room door. "This sweater is really nice." She continued to admire the feeling of the knitted sweater across her bare arms. Leaning her head back on the wall behind her, Serena waited patiently for Raye. The other girls continued to browse through the store, occasionally picking up an item to try on. Serena felt her eyes growing heavy as she blinked. Within seconds, she felt unable to keep her eyes open and fell into a deep sleep.

"Ok. I'm all done now. I think I'll take this shirt, what do you think Sere?" Raye emerged from the cubicle to find Serena asleep, leaning against the wall. "Rena? Wake up." She gently nudged Serena's hand, immediately feeling its coldness. Raye glanced down at Serena's hands. They were pale blue in color. A network of tiny purple veins surfaced, contrasting with the lightness of her hands. Serena's blood was failing to circulate and reach her hands. It was then that Raye realized Serena's raspy shallow wheezing. She was struggling to draw in her breaths.

"Girls!" Raye desperately called from the fitting room, immediately gaining the attention of Mina, Lita and Ami. The three girls rushed over.

"What's wrong, Raye? Is Serena asleep again?" Mina placed her pile of clothes on the chair beside Serena's.

"She's not waking up, and there's something wrong. She's turning blue, she can't breathe." Raye pointed out.

"What do you mean 'she can't breathe?' Why not?" Mina knelt down to feel Serena's icy hands.

"Look, it's the sweater!" Lita noted, pointing out the odd sleeve length, "It's shrinking!"

"We have to get her out of it. She'll suffocate!" Ami added quickly as Lita yanked at the bottom of the sweater, attempting to rip it open.

"Excuse me? Is there anything I can help you ladies with?" The store assistant peered in to check out what the fuss was all about. She gasped at the sight, immediately running to find a pair of scissors. "I don't know what's happening, but try this!" She handed the scissors to Lita, who managed to create a small tear in the fabric. The scissors, although sharp, were otherwise useless in cutting through. They slipped and couldn't create any further damage to the sweater. The initial tear began to fuse back together and mend itself as it drained Serena of her energy.

"It's not working!" Lita cried out in desperation as Serena's breathes were becoming shallower and more labored.

"I'll go call the police." The store assistant rushed to the store phone, leaving the 5 girls alone in the fitting room.

"We've got to try something else. Everyone, transform!" Mina shot her hand into the air, beginning the transformation sequence. As all four sailor scouts stood, surrounding their leader, they each placed a hand on her shoulders. They called out to their ruling planet for assistance and power.

"Venus Power! Jupiter Power! Mars Power! Mercury Power!"

Slowly, the stitches of the soft pink sweater began to fade and the wool unraveled, releasing their hold on the unconscious girl. Her breathes became deeper and color soon returned to her cheeks. She was breathing again. The long threads fell around the fallen leader.

"It worked." Mars sighed in relief as she and the other girls de-transformed before their presence was noticed. Serena groggily opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her blurry vision.

"Did I fall asleep again?" She yawned, lazily stretching her arms above her head.

"You could say that…" Mina raised an eyebrow at her friend incredulously.

"We should go." Lita nodded towards the distracted sales assistant. The other girls nodded, not wanting to make a scene. They would have an incredibly difficult time explaining not only their narcoleptic friend being strangled by a self-shrinking sweater, but also their identities as Sailor Scouts or however else they managed to shred the possessed item of clothing. Not one of the girls was ready to face that kind of confrontation. They were all stunned and unsure of the odd events surrounding Serena as well. For now, an escape was all they were seeking until they could find out some answers to the questions that were all playing in their minds.

"What about my sweater?" Serena looked around as she was quietly rushed out of the store. "I wanted to get that."

"Not right now, Sere." Mina whispered in a low tone. "Actually, you know, it made you look fat."

"Oh," Serena frowned. "Never mind then."

* * *

That's it for this weeks chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think. I'm working an a shiny new story now, hoping to get as much done as I can before the new university semester begins. I should be able to start posting up chapters in a couple weeks so keep your eyes peeled for that! How exciting! See you all next week,

Crystal Saturn


	13. Looks Like Rain

Welcome to the next chapter of DOOM... hehe.

_**Thank you to: **_merangelgal, Fiery Dancer, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, zhenechka, SerentiyMoonGodness, SulliMike23, Lady Clark-Weasley of Books, Halo 4360, KageNoNeko _**and**_ MegTao **_for being wonderful and taking a little time to review the last chapter.  
_**

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 13- Looks Like Rain

Serena skipped through the puddles on her way to the Crown Arcade after school. The skies were blanketed in a thick layer of light grey clouds. A gentle sprinkle of rain fell from the heavens above. Serena shook her umbrella closed as she entered the sliding doors of the quiet game arcade.

"Serena! Welcome!" Andrew waved a glow stick in enthusiasm. "It's really quiet today. I think it's because of the rain, everyone just wants to get home."

"Or maybe you're scaring them all away with this Neon fad of yours." Darien sat on a tall bar stool, sipping away at his coffee at the counter. Andrew was dressed head to toe in fluorescent colored clothing, starting from his pink sweatbands down to his green shoe laces. He had installed a few black lights around the arcade to create the illusion of his clothes and decorations glowing.

"Wow, Andy." Serena gaped, trying not to laugh. "That's all I can say, really."

"Would you like anything to eat? You look drained. How was school?" Andrew began to prepare Serena's usual chocolate milkshake and mini muffin combo.

"I'd love a chocolate shake, thanks Andrew. I am really tired lately. I'm not too sure what it is. I guess I'm just not sleeping properly. School was fine." Serena sighed nonchalantly. She didn't want anyone to worry about her. Letting out another yawn, she reached for her book bag, pulling out her English homework. She reasoned that she wouldn't get any of it done once she got home, remembering that she had plenty chores to do.

"You're still not sleeping well?" Darien interrupted, turning his attention away from the chemistry textbook that he was pretending to study from.

"Well, not really. I mean, I'm sleeping, but it's just not the best sleep. I keep tossing and turning." Serena shrugged. "It should be Ok in a few days though right? I guess I'm just anxious about exams coming up. I should probably get started on my homework." She attempted to give a warm smile to show that she was fine before turning back to her English book.

"Here you go, Serena." Andrew slid Serena's usual order beside her. "If you need any help, Darien here is an English expert."

"Thanks, Drew." Serena gave another weary smile, attempting to pass it off as another genuine warm 'Serena smile'. Darien watched the blonde school girl out of the corner of his eyes. He knew that she was struggling. He watched as she wrote down an answer, and then reached for her eraser to change it. She hesitated before pretending to pencil in another answer. She was faking it. Darien wondered if she would ask him for help. Did she know that she could ask him to help her with anything? Even if she did, would her pride let her? Serena was going through quite a stubborn independent streak at the moment, and it worried Darien. It was so unlike her. She wasn't the same happy carefree girl that she used to be when they first met. He never really learned how to be encouraging and helpful, or nice, to be honest. He truly cared for the girl, but could only seem to show it in teasing playful quips and torments. Maybe that was why she felt she couldn't reach out to ask him for help. He was too cold towards her, but that couldn't be it. He had been making an effort to be nicer to the girl, and be more supportive, especially since he found out her identity as Sailor Moon. She wasn't the same carefree whiney crybaby she was when he first met her, because now, he knew she had a lot more responsibility. He could see that she was really trying, and he admired her more for it.

"Umm…" Serena tapped her pencil on her book nervously. "Darien? Would you, I mean, could you… help me with this one question? That is, if you're not busy."

"Sure, Meatball Head." His heart skipped a beat as she smiled up at him. She had asked him for help, which meant she really did know that he was there for her. To help her with anything she needed.

* * *

Half an hour had passed without a sound from Serena. She was looking down at her homework intently. She didn't seem to be making much of a response. It looked as though she was reading, or trying to stay awake. Darien watched out of the corner of his eyes once again, pretending to study his own textbook. She blinked once, and again. She was getting tired. Rubbing her eyes, she stifled a yawn as she rested her forehead on a propped hand. Serena was struggling to stay awake. Finally, she blinked once more before closing her tired eyes. She slowly rested her head on the counter, rewarding her eyes with what felt like a much needed rest. Darien shook his head as he removed his jacket and gently placed it around the sleeping girl. She wasn't getting a good sleep, after all. Witnessing firsthand the kinds of disturbed sleeps Serena was having, Darien reflected that she probably needed every nap she could get, and this way, he could watch over her to make sure nothing bad happened.

Within moments of placing his jacket around Serena, Darien could sense something not quite right. There was an odd aura surrounding Serena. It vanished as he approached, but he noted that her hair was now wet. Certain it was dry only seconds ago, Darien looked up at the ceiling, trying to determine a source of a leak. There was none. Gently brushing his fingers through her hair, careful not to wake the girl, he noted that her hair was drenched. It began to drip onto the tiled floor of the arcade. A small puddle of water began to pool onto the counter. Darien pushed Serena's books away, determined to find the source of the fluid. His jacket was now soaked through and fell to the ground with a squelch. Serena was dripping from head to toe. Her clothes were completely saturated from a mysterious source of water and her hair was matted down onto her face.

* * *

Serena giggled as she hopped and skipped through the puddles. She closed her umbrella, deciding that she would let loose and play in the rain for a while. It was something she hadn't done in years. The patters of precipitation that fell from the heavens gently drummed on her head as she let herself become soaked, enjoying the ever so gentle massage and the soothing sound of the rain falling all around her. Kicking through puddles, she noticed that they were becoming bigger and deeper. The rain wasn't draining away. The water in the puddles was beginning to rise. As she walked through the empty city, she soon came to realize that the water was rising faster than she thought. Within minutes, it was up to her knees. The rain beat down on her mercilessly now. Large, heavy rain drops pelted down on her with force. Serena struggled as she opened up her umbrella, trying to seek refuge from the now icy cold raindrops.

"I need to get to higher ground." Serena began to wade through the waist deep waters in an attempt to find a building that would let her in, or some form of higher ground. The rapidly rising water was swiftly impeding her efforts, resisting her every movement, making it difficult for her to move about freely. Serena released her umbrella, needing the full use of both her arms to help propel her through the water. Kicking her feet through the flooded waters, Serena steadily began to swim towards a second story balcony. She stopped for a moment, only to catch her breath, but realized that she could no longer touch the ground. A rumble echoed in the distance, becoming louder, and Serena soon found herself face to face with a giant wall of water. It collapsed under its own weight directly over Serena, plunging her into the murky depths of what now was the submerged city of Tokyo.

* * *

"Serena, I need you to wake up now." Darien had taken the young teen into his arms and gently laid her out on the ground. He shook her shoulders gently, attempting to awaken her from her dangerous slumber. There was no response at all from her still form. She continued to leak water from an unknown source. Darien called out to Andrew to bring some towels and cloths, even still, It was not long before they too, became saturated from the mystery water.

"What do we do?" Andrew looked down at Darien, panic stricken. "Shall I call an ambulance?"

"No I don't think we can. How would we explain something like this? It's not exactly a normal occurrence." Darien brushed Serena's hair away from her face.

"Is this some sort of, Sailor Scout thing?"

"I think it's a Serena thing. I don't think there's anything that anyone else can do to stop this. She has some inner demons, but yes, I think they are targeting her because of her other self." Darien sighed deeply in thought. He was interrupted as Serena began to cough. She labored to take in a breath as she coughed once again and spluttered up water. She wriggled and writhed for a moment before coughing up more water.

"Serena! You need to wake up now!" Alarmed, Darien began to shake the girl a little more vigorously. Still, she made no indication of rousing from her dream world. Water pooled from all around her as she continued to cough up the mystery water.

"Darien!" She called out in desperation, gasping for breath between coughs.

"I don't know what to do!" He replied in frustration, wiping away the water on her face.

"She looks like she's drowning. I can't just stand by and watch this," Darien nodded as Andrew ran to the back room to call an ambulance. He rolled up his damp sleeves and positioned Serena flatly along the ground. He lifted her chin up, tilting her head back. With a thumb gently resting on her chin, he opened her mouth wider and leaned in. Pressing his lips against hers, he attempted to fill her lungs with oxygen.

* * *

Serena could hear Darien's voice echoing in her dream world. He was calling out to her, telling her to wake up. She was desperately wishing she could awaken at that moment, but no matter what she did, she still found herself stuck in this dream realm. Every time she attempted to swim towards his voice, she was met with a surge of ice cold water, pushing her underwater. She struggled to stay afloat. Before long, Serena could feel her muscles begin to ache in exhaustion.

"Darien!" She desperately called out to him. She hadn't heard his voice call out to her in a while and she was beginning to lose hope. Another wave forced her under when she was unprepared. She desperately needed air. Unable to hold her breath anymore, she inhaled, taking water in. Her body naturally protested the water in her lungs and Serena convulsed into a coughing fit which only succeeded in making her draw in more water. She desperately tried to kick her way up towards the light, but her legs would no longer move. She was too tired. Succumbing to the exhaustion, Serena let out her last mouthful of air and closed her eyes. Still suspended in the deep water, she breathed in, waiting for the painful feeling of water entering her lungs and the choking suffocation to begin. She had accepted that she was now about to drown and was eerily accepting. It never came.

Serena opened her eyes to realize that she didn't have water in her lungs. Instead, it was replaced with oxygen. She could breathe. Feeling energized and invigorated by this newfound knowledge, Serena began to kick towards the surface of the water like she had never done before. As she approached the surface of the water, a silhouette of a man appeared. He plunged his hand into the water, seemingly reaching for her. Not knowing for how much longer her source of air would last, Serena desperately grabbed the man's arm and he pulled her up, out of the water.

* * *

Darien was in mid breath as Serena reached out and grasped his arm, desperately clinging onto it. Her body jolted as her eyes fluttered open, only to feel her lips against his. Alarmed, Darien pulled away quickly.

"Serena?" He avoided making eye contact in embarrassment. She leaned to one side, and began to cough excessively, trying to get all the water out from her lungs.

"Serena! Are you OK? An ambulance will be here any second now." Andrew ran back into the arcade room. "God knows how, but you were drowning. Darien here saved you. He gave you CPR. It's a good thing too, or you might not have made it before the ambulance arrives. Now, just how do we explain this?"

"I… tripped and fell outside, in a ditch, in the rain." Serena shook her head, attempting to clear it a little. She was feeling exhausted and quite ill. Darien gently placed a hand on her shoulder and gestured for her to lie back in recovery position. "Darien," Serena looked up into his deep blue eyes, taking hold of his hand. "Thank you." She whispered, quietly coughing again. He smiled and softly squeezed her hand in response as the arcade doors slid open and the paramedics wheeled in a stretcher.

* * *

That's it for this chapter :) Tune in next week for the return of Prince Endymion, dun dun dun. Until then, please review :) constructive criticisms are always welcome, as I'm a bit of a perfectionist and am always seeking to improve my writing.

Crystal Saturn


	14. An Ocean Lies Between Us 'I Wonder'

Hello again, here's the latest chapter. Thank you to everyone who write in with feedback and constructive criticism. I promise to start to work on making chapters longer, with more emotive content. I'm constantly working on trying to improve my writing style and making my stories better and more enjoyable to read. So thanks for all the feedback!

**_Thank you to:_** merangelgal, Fiery Dancer, rakusa, RoyalLovers1418, SerentiyMoonGodness, sailormoon489, MegTao, Lady Clark-Weasley of Books, Anony, SulliMike23, Halo 4360, KageNoNeko, tryntee13, CharmedSerenity3 _**and**_ Goddess of the Moonlit Sky _**for leaving wonderful reviews on the last chapter**_

* * *

**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 14- I Wonder // An Ocean Lies Between Us

"Serena, we're just going to keep you here overnight for a few more tests and observation to make sure that no infection occurs in your lungs and the risk of pneumonia is gone. While you're here, please get lots of rest and let any of the nurses know if you feel ill or uncomfortable at any time." Dr. Mizuno smiled warmly, placing Serena's charts back in their place at the end of her bed. She walked out the door, leaving Serena to her empty room, and silent thoughts.

"Prince Endymion," She sighed to herself, recalling their last confrontation. He was so cold. It was completely unlike him. How could he be so cruel, and what did he mean by Darien as her romantic partner? In an odd way, even though he had betrayed her trust, she still missed her prince. "Endymion, was that the real you?" She decided to take up Dr. Mizuno's idea of rest and closed her eyes, leaning back into the pillow. Even as she slowed her breathing and tried to sleep, her thoughts kept wandering back to the fight and her ethereal prince.

As she wandered through the chilly, dark hallways of his castle, she couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia and longing. A fireplace roared to life and illuminated the room at the end of the hallway. He was there. She could feel his presence and was certain that he had felt hers too. Her palms grew clammy with nervous anticipation. Her heart began to beat loudly in her ears as she swallowed the uncomfortable lump in her throat. She was intruding on him and his personal space. How would he respond to her presence within his castle?

"Princess," His voice boomed, piercing through the silence and echoing down the hallway. She couldn't see him, but knew that his voice beckoned from the fire lit room. "Please, don't be alarmed. I won't hurt you." Serena hesitated for a moment. She clenched her fists as flashbacks of his betrayal played back in her mind. He knew and had exposed her every weakness, revealing her innermost thoughts and feelings. Those very secrets that were locked away in her heart, ones that she thought no one would ever know. He had used them against her in a bid to hurt her and crush her spirit. Unbeknownst to him though, she fought back. She defeated him and put his mind games to an end. Why was he here now?

Her footsteps left hollow echoing sounds as she gingerly stepped down the hallway and toward the light. Approaching the entrance to the room, she coughed meekly, signaling her arrival to the armor clad man who leant over the mantelpiece. He glanced over at Serena through his mask before quickly turning his attention back to the white hot flames that flickered and leaped in his fireplace.

"Thank you for coming. There is much to explain, and not enough time to say it." With the flick of a wrist, he summoned a large chair to come forth from the darkness, appearing behind Serena. She stared at the piece of furniture for a moment, unsure of whether she trusted it or not before slowly, cautiously taking a seat.

"Who are you?" She asked attempting to mask her nervous tone. Her voice cracked, betraying her true emotions.

"I'm your-" Endymion attempted to reply before Serena interrupted impatiently. Various emotions and feelings swarmed beneath the surface of her collected demeanor. She was feeling hurt and a little scared. She was unsure of how he would react but she felt the need to continue. She needed to put a stop to these charades and was sick and tired of these mind games.

"You're my prince. I know. You're the one who swore to always be here for me, to protect me and never hurt me. That's all a lie." Tears formed in Serena's eyes even though she desperately tried to hold them back. "Who are you?"

"Princess, the person you fought the other night was not me." Endymion stepped away from the mantelpiece and took Serena's hand. Kneeling before her, he gazed deeply into her eyes. "You have many demons within you that you need to fight. They're trying to take over your mind, haunting these hallways and doing everything they can to weaken you."

"Who are you?" Serena persisted.

"I'm merely a figment of your imagination. I'm here to help protect you from those demons, to give you encouragement and to make sure you don't lose hope. You needed me to guide you, and be here for you, to take you away from the stresses of your real life. I'm a creation of your heart, of someone very dear and close to you. I am everything you want him to be."

"Who?" Serena's heart leaped in her chest as she went through the processes and thoughts of denial. "Who do I want you to be? You're you, Endymion. There's no one else…" Her voice faltered and faded as she lifted a hand slowly towards his face, taking hold of his mask within her fingers. Gently pulling the mask away from him, she revealed Endymion's true identity. Her breath caught at the back of her throat as she recognized the face she was looking at as that of Darien's.

"I can no longer stay here to protect you, Princess. The time has come for me to leave. You have many more battles ahead of you that you must be prepared for, battles that I can no longer help you with. Now that you know who I am, it is time for you to tell him your true feelings. I am leaving you in his capable hands." The prince rose swiftly to his feet. Serena followed, eagerly grasping hold of his hand.

"You can't go. I'm not ready. Darien can't… I can't… he won't…" Serena shook her head in an attempt to comprehend everything she had just been told. "Endymion, please don't go." She was comfortable with him. He knew everything about her. With Darien, even though she felt something for him, she wasn't sure of what these feelings were, or if she was ready to tell him everything about her. She was certain that he couldn't possibly feel the same way.

"He has never let you down before." The prince bowed his head, taking a step back as he released Serena's hand. "Trust in him. Trust in yourself, princess. Good bye." With another step, he vanished, leaving Serena alone in the dark room to watch the embers from the fireplace rise into the air.

"Endymion…" Serena murmured as she roused from her sleep. Opening her eyes, she recalled her surroundings. The pale grey curtain by the window fluttered with a disturbance. A caped figure had entered the room via the window. He cringed as his boots made a quiet thud on the floor.

"Tuxedo Mask?" Serena leaned forward, watching as he stumbled slightly, cape still caught on the window. He cursed under his breath as he yanked on the corner of his cape in an attempt to free it from the corner of the window. "What are you doing here? You know, you could just make a normal entry through the door like any other normal civilian." She smiled as she caught sight of his flustered face.

"Well forgive a man for caring. I was worried and wanted to check up on you. Visiting hours are over, which is why I had to sneak in, but if you want to be alone, I can go." The masked man motioned to turn around and walk back over to the window.

"No wait," Serena whispered in a hushed voice. "Please stay, Darien. I'd like someone to talk to."

"That's what I thought." Tuxedo mask shot a sly smile as he took a seat beside Serena's hospital bed, de-transforming back to his civilian form.

"You were worried about me?" Serena quipped back, "Darien Chiba had a heart? Did you stop by the transplant ward on your way here?"

"Don't even start, meatball head!" Darien playfully glared before pausing in thought. The mischievous smile disappeared from his lips a moment later. "You had me really worried back there. These dreams are taking over your life. They're putting you in danger Sere." Serena gazed up at the dark haired man before her. His dark blue eyes reflected a sense of concern and protectiveness that she had never seen before. Was Endymion right? Could she rely on Darien? She decided to put her doubts aside nevertheless and put it all on the line.

"I know… but I don't know what to do." Serena held his gaze, watching intently for any slight deviation in his demeanor or reaction. "You're the only one who really knows about these dreams and what they do. You're the only one who I can rely on to listen to me. It's odd, but I feel like I can trust you, Darien. Even though you're a jerk at times, you've never let me down before. Will you help me?"

"I…" Slightly taken aback by the question, Darien broke eye contact as his mind raced to form a sentence, any sort of sentence in response to her plea. "I don't know how." He answered honestly.

"I understand…" Serena turned away slightly, avoiding his gaze. Her hands fidgeted in her lap as she tried to hold back her disappointment. Her heart sank in her chest as a feeling of insignificance and loneliness overwhelmed her.

"No, you don't." Darien tilted his head so he could look the girl in the eyes. He paused for a second to gather his words together. "Serena, when you lapse into these nightmares or dreams, it's like there's nothing that I or anybody else can do to get you out of them. At times I feel as though an ocean lies between us. You're unreachable when you're in that state. I don't know how or what I can do to help you, Serena. I wish I could, I really do want to help you." Darien reached out to still Serena's hands and she turned to face him. He held one of her hands and looked her straight in the eye. "But if you ever find out any way that I can help you, I will. Until then, I'll be here for you." He had hoped that his words were enough to convince her of his support and even maybe even give a hint of his affection for her. He watched as her eyes lit up through her tears and she smiled broadly.

"You do care." She beamed a smile of gratitude, "And you DID pick up a heart on your way up here."

"Don't start! You're not funny." Darien rolled his eyes as he sank back into his chair.

* * *

That's it for this week. Any and all reviews are much appreciated. Feel free to let me know if you have any constructive criticism.

Crystal Saturn


	15. Broken

I'm back! After what seems like eternity, I'm going through another Sailor Moon phase. It's a culmination of my High Distinction grade for a literature subject in Uni, better quality SM episodes released, my wonderful boyfriend being brave enough to watch SM with me even though he knows I love Tuxedo Kamen, and the romantic mood of Valentines Day coming up. Either way I've been super productive in writing today and am proud to announce my new story "_**Akai Ito**_" coming out next week. Thanks for your patience everyone.

_**Special Thanks to:**_ SulliMike23, Fedski, Mimi the Popo, Lady Shakona, MegTao, Lady Tristana Rogue , Fiery Dancer, merangelgal, RoyalLovers1418, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, MidnightMoments , SerentiyMoonGodness, KageNoNeko, Halo 4360, CharmedSerenity3 _**and**_ Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley _**for their wonderful reviews  
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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 15- Broken

"Stop it! No!" Serena pushed through the maze of hedges and trees that dotted the outskirts of the cemetery.

"You can't run, Sailor Moon, we'll find you." A phantasmagorical apparition danced above the tombstones, revealing himself as the Knight of Darkness. He watched as the warrior desperately tried to increase the distance between her and his demon zombies. The smell of decaying flesh was enough to make Sailor Moon physically sick. When she felt it was safe to stop, she leaned by a nearby tree to catch her breath.

"He's right." She reasoned to herself, "I can't run forever. I have to stand my ground and fight." Serena reached for her Moon Wand, and as she spun around, she came face to face with a grotesque zombie. Its disfigured form limped toward her with skin sticky and dampened of stale pus, and flesh slipping away from bone with every movement. The sight of white rib bones protruding from its hollowed abdomen and sunken half decomposed cheeks was enough to make Serena shriek in horror and turn around to run once again. Once she felt that she had put enough distance between them, Sailor Moon decided once again to stand her ground and fight. Looking over her shoulder this time, to check if she was right, she stopped dead in her tracks as the scenery began to warp and change.

Lights dazzled and whirled about in a dance that looked like it was choreographed by fairies. They were delicate and glistened as they spiraled about joyously. Serena powered down as she envied their seemingly carefree rapturous forms. A sense of peacefulness washed over her as she watched the lights flit and twirl about her. They relieved her of her anxieties and she smiled warmly as she watched their hypnotizing display. She wished that she could join in on their dance, and just as she did, they vanished in a blinding flash, replaced with a scene of devastation and despair.

Serena slowly strolled among the ancient ruins of a once great kingdom. Rubble littered the ground as large marble stone pillars lay broken and mangled along the path. A great force had come along and brought this civilization to its knees, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Serena carefully stepped through the debris and began to scale one of the larger fallen pillars, hoping to get a better view of the landscape around her. She climbed up to the tallest peak of the pillar and gazed down to the valley below. Her heart sank in her chest as her knees buckled beneath her. What she had hoped to be a peaceful meadow with a small stream turned out to be a nightmare. The carnage that unfolded before her stretched to the horizon. Endless masses of bodies upon bodies made Serena turn away in angst. As she did, she caught sight of a familiar face among the sea of devastation.

"Sailor Mercury! Ami!" Serena awkwardly slid down the pillar and stumbled towards her fallen friend. All around, the soil was stained with the blood of fallen warriors and soldiers on both sides. Serena wept at the sight of such senseless bloodshed. So many had fallen, and for what? "Mercury, please wake up," Serena cradled the head of her fellow Sailor Scout in her lap. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises. Her eyes remained closed in a delicate and peaceful state, a contrast to the rest of her face. Her lips were cracked and stained crimson from her blood. Her cheeks were pale and bruised. Serena gently rested Sailor Mercury's head on the ground as she backed away, her heart heavy with the sight of her departed friend. She stepped back and tripped over another body. Immediately, she recognized the red suit as another one of her Scouts, Sailor Mars.

"No! This can't be happening!" Serena frantically scanned her surroundings. Soon enough, her darkest suspicions were confirmed, and she had wished she had not have climbed that pillar. All about her were the bodies of not only nameless faces of soldiers and warriors, but also her fellow comrades and friends. Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Artemis and Luna. They all lay sprawled, lifeless, scattered among the unknown bodies.

"It can, and it has." His voice bellowed from above. "There's nothing you can do about it, Miss Moon. They're all my warriors now. Arise, minions!" His image emerged from a dark cloud as he hovered atop a nearby broken pillar. Serena clasped her brooch, immediately transforming into Sailor Moon and preparing to fight the Knight of Darkness.

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice! On behalf of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you!" Sailor Moon stood proud and ready to face her fears to defeat her inner demons once and for all.

"Oh I think you're mistaken, Miss Moon. It's not me you'll be fighting today." The dark apparition rolled his head back with a devious screeching cackle. He waved his right hand in the air and summoned his minions. One by one, the deceased Sailor Scouts rose to their feet. Their broken bodies hobbled and struggled to stand firm, quaking under the pressure of standing on broken bones. With cries of agony, their lifeless eyes turned towards Sailor Moon.

"No! Why are you doing this? You can't… they're…" Sailor Moon clasped a hand over her mouth in mortification.

"Dead, that's right. Which means, they can't die again, can they? Besides, who better to bring about your downfall than the people closest to you, your own protectors?" The Knight watched amused from his perch as Jupiter lunged forth.

"Please Jupiter, I know this is just a dream. I don't think this is real, but I still can't fight you."

"Jupiter Thunder, Crash!" The emerald dressed warrior attacked with full force. Her energy blasted Sailor Moon, launching her into the air and against a marble pillar. She groaned as she felt the impact of the solid marble against her back.

"Everyone, please, don't do this. I can't fight you. I won't do it." Serena desperately pleaded, her distress becoming more evident in her grief-stricken voice.

"Mars Fire-"

"Please STOP!" Serena jolted out of bed with tears streaming from her eyes. She wailed loudly as the visions of her dream played back in her mind. She couldn't make them stop, even though she was now completely conscious and awake.

"Serena?" A gentle voice called, gaining the attention of the shaken girl. She glanced up to see five concerned faces looking back at her.

"Mina, Lita, Ami, Raye." She sighed in relief through her tears. Still upset from her vivid dream, Serena found that she couldn't stop her sobs. "You're all here. You're all ok."

"Of course we are," Lita took a seat beside Serena, embracing her friend warmly to comfort her. A small electric charge zapped Lita's finger as she did. Lita shrugged it off as a simple build up of static electricity. "Where else would we be?" Raye sat on the end of the bed and leaned in.

"Between you and me, I think Darien's been here all night." Raye held up her hand and leaned forward as she whispered. She winked playfully in an attempt to cheer up her friend. Serena's cheeks flushed a deep crimson colour as she attempted to stifle her incessant sobs.

"Serena, according to Dr. Mizuno, you'll be alright to go home this afternoon. Isn't that wonderful?" Mina piped up. Serena nodded quickly as she put on a brave face for her friends.

"I can't wait." She smiled, "There's a new Sailor V game out at the Arcade that I'm dying to try out." She added and watched as her friends grinned back, satisfied that Serena was feeling much better, and as on her way back to being her old self.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Serena. It's starting to get late. We should probably start getting to school though. Will you be OK here today?" Ami reassuringly placed a hand on Serena's shoulder. She nodded quickly.

"You guys go on, I'll be fine here." Serena glanced over at Darien for a second.

"I'll watch over her. She'll be fine. I'll make sure she gets home safely this afternoon." Darien added. All four girls nodded, quite unsure of the relationship between Serena and Darien or how it had escalated into such a close friendship, but convinced that he was sincere. Mina smiled in an all-knowing way as she nudged Raye playfully. The schoolgirls said their goodbyes as they left for school.

"Well, that was lovely of them to visit." Serena turned to Darien as she smiled and stretched. "I need to stretch my legs. She forced another smile as she jumped out of bed and slowly walked towards the window. She glanced out and watched as life went on in the city below her. The sun shone brightly through the clouds, butterflies could be seen fluttering amongst the trees and children laughed as they walked to school. It was unfair for the world to go on so merrily, so perfectly. Sunlight bounced off all the trees and paths and glistened across the windows of the buildings in the city. It seemed to bath the whole city in warmth and happiness. Serena struggled to suppress the feeling of guilt which arose after enviously wondering how the world below her should continue so happily in amidst her suffering. Her life seemed so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. It didn't matter what happened to her, because life would go on. No one knew how much she suffered. As the day twinkled across the city of Tokyo, Serena wondered if any of that light would ever reach the depths of her heart again.

"You don't have to hold it in anymore." Darien quietly approached from behind. A silent tear trickled down Serena's face as she blinked.

"How is it that you know me so well?" Her curious tone gave way to one of built up tension and misdirected anger. "You seem to know exactly what I'm feeling or thinking at any given moment. How is it that you can see right through me all the time? Why are you always around to see my weakest moments?" Her shoulders shook as she released her sobs once again.

"You're important to me." Darien began, unsure of exactly what to say next. He watched as Serena steeled under his gaze. "You're… I care about you… Just like you, my friends mean a lot to me." Darien cringed at his simplistic vocabulary and his lack of backbone in regards to plucking up the courage to tell Serena exactly what he meant to say. He cleared his head of all incoherent babble. "What was it that you dreamt of just then?" Darien decided to avoid her questions, knowing that she was avoiding the real reason why she was upset. He watched the pain in her eyes reflected through the glass window.

"Darien, I've had enough of these nightmares. I can't stand them anymore. I can't cope with seeing everyone around me die every time I close my eyes. I can't bear to be alone. I don't want to be alone. There's always so much pain…" Serena's voice trailed away as she trembled at the thought of such desolation. Darien awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder for support and comfort.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you." Darien begun, unsure if now was an appropriate occasion to be revealing such things in such a delicate time. He wanted her to know that she was not alone, and that he cared about her deeply, but he didn't know how she would react. Would it strengthen her resolve to fight, or would it confuse her even more? All he knew was she needed support and he needed to let her know how he felt. If this would help her give her spirit a boost, then all the better. "Serena, I-"

"Darien…" Serena sighed wistfully "I'm so tired… but I don't… want to…" She spun around to face her confidant and as she did, she felt her energy drain away. Darien's reflexes kicked in as he reached out and caught Serena as she lost consciousness and began to fall to the ground.

"Serena? Sere? Wake up!" Darien tapped on her arm to try to rouse the girl. "Not again." He muttered as he carried Serena's limp body to her bed and called out for the nurses. "Please don't give up. Not yet."

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That's it for another chapter. Happy Chinese New Year! It's my year! (Bunny) See you all next week with a new chapter and a new story :)

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	16. Beside You 'You're My Everything'

As promised, another chapter, and a little ahead of schedule. Good news, I have just published a new story too, called _**Akai Ito**_. So please check it out and _please please please review_. In only one day I had over 200 unique visitors reading my last chapter, and only a handful of reviews, so this time around, if you liked it, please let me know. Feel free to tell me what aspects you enjoyed and any that you didn't quite like so I can become a better writer for my audience ^_^

_**Special thanks to:**_ SerentiyMoonGodness, SulliMike23, Halo 4360, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, KageNoNeko, Fiery Dancer, Fedski _**and**_ CharmedSerenity3 for _**reviewing my last chapter.  
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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 16- Beside You / You're My Everything

Darien sat beside Serena as she lay unconscious in her comatose state. The doctors were alarmed when they heard that Serena had suddenly taken a turn for the worst. They ran tests for hours but were unable to find a cause for her sudden lapse. They placed Serena under close watch to monitor her for the next twenty-four hours. Every now and then, Serena would twitch or kick, igniting the hope within Darien that she had awaken. According to the nurses, these were involuntary actions that were not an uncommon occurrence for a coma patient. On the rare occasion that Serena made even the slightest movement, Darien was by her side, whispering words of encouragement to her, hoping that she could hear him.

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"I am alone." Serena strode, full of energy and determination. "There's no one to bail me out this time." She muttered to herself as she ran down the yellow brick road towards the dark castle. Her scenery constantly shifted and changed around her but the path remained the same. Moments passed as she ran through the forest in Shakespeare's _Midsummer Night's Dream_, and entered a surreal world akin to that of Salvador Dali's painting of _The Persistence of Memory_. She sidestepped suddenly as a piece of the clock ahead of her melted, taking the shape of a ticking crocodile as it fell. Serena ignored all outside interferences and focused on reaching the castle. One step after another.

"I can do this." Serena gritted her teeth as a grotesque creature surged toward her from amongst the icy world ahead of her. It groaned in pain as it lurched forward, a few stitches coming undone from its face. It seemed to be a misshapen collage of human parts, pieced together in a twisted way to form a man and given the breath of life. Serena didn't think to yield her pace as she reached for her tiara, attacking the monster just in time to run past its ashes. As she passed the pile of moon dust along her course, she stretched her hand out behind her to summon her tiara. "No one else can fight these demons for me. It's time for me to face my fears. I'm not scared anymore. I'm not scared." Serena attempted once more to convince herself.

As she approached the Dark castle, she felt a sudden surge of dark energy coursing through her veins. She dropped to her knees just before reaching the drawbridge, clasping at her chest. It was as if someone had thrust a cold hand into her and clenched her heart. Dark thoughts invaded her mind and Serena could feel her desire to continue begin to slip away. She felt as though her battle was useless. Like any effort that she made after this would be futile. She felt her hope begin to fade. This was how he was weakening her. Infecting her mind with negative thoughts and energy.

"No! I won't let you control my thoughts anymore!" Serena resolved to make an effort to stand once again. "I can't protect my friends in real life if I'm always lost in my dreams." Odd swamp conjured creatures began to creep toward her from the moat.

"We will not let you pass." The mud monsters formed into an army before her, blocking her entrance to the drawbridge. Serena felt the dark energy release its hold of her heart as she rose to her feet, determined more than ever to break through into the castle. A shiver passed through her body, causing Serena to look about her. She was alone, but felt the presence of someone beside her.

"I'm here for you, Meatball Head. Please don't give up." His gentle voice echoed through her world and warmth filled her heart as she reached for her tiara.

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Darien paced about the room as he watched and agonizingly waited. He knew that Serena couldn't possibly be in a dreamless comatose state. She was in her dream world, fighting face to face with the darkness within her. After a while, he sat down beside the girl and watched her intently, waiting to see a sign, any sign at all to know how she was doing. He gazed at her listless form with frustration at his inability to assist her. Reaching out, he held one of her cool hands within his. He leaned his head against the bed, sighing to himself once more as weariness set in and after 28 hours, he finally allowed himself to fall asleep.

As he drifted into a deep slumber, Darien found himself walking the dark corridors of a castle. There were rooms everywhere, and each led to a new path with more doors. Darien was lost in a maze of rooms and hallways. He pondered where he was and chose a doorway to walk through. As he opened the door, he found another hallway behind it, with more openings to other rooms. Thankful that he didn't have to answer an encyclopedia general knowledge question to pass, he proceeded through. Walking past all the other doors, he decided to open the door at the end of the hallway. He poked his head through the doorway only to see a room. It was a dead end. Dusty old books were sprawled along the mantelpiece over the fireplace. As he examined the room, the fireplace roared to life, flames joyously leaping into the air. Curiosity reared its ugly head as Darien entered the room, still vigilant of any other presence that may emerge from the shadows. He stood by the fireplace, welcoming the warmth it radiated. Browsing through the titles of the leather bound classics, he found himself picking up an untitled book. He thumbed through the pages, waiting for something to catch his eye.

Urgent footsteps echoed down the hallway. Someone was coming. Darien quickly put the book back down where he had found it and braced himself for a confrontation. The sound of the footsteps stopped short as the figure reached his doorway. Peering in, Serena was astounded as she came face to face with Prince Endymion.

"Serena?" Darien breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed his shoulders.

"D…Darien?" Serena asked uncertainly. "Is that really you? What are you doing in my dream?"

"I think it's me. I didn't know it was your dream. I thought I was dreaming. Are you really you?" Darien pinched Serena. She protested loudly and slapped his hand.

"Ow! Yes it's me, jerk!" She pouted, rubbing her arm where he had attacked her. "How did you get here?" Serena asked, convinced that it was the real Darien in her dreams.

"I'm not sure. I guess I fell asleep by your side." Darien made a note to leave out the fact that he had fallen asleep holding her hand.

"You just fell asleep and stumbled into the castle? You cheater! Do you know how long it took me and how many monsters I had to fight just to get here?" Serena dejectedly threw her hands up into the air, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. "How long will you be here for?"

"I don't know, until I wake up, I guess." Darien shrugged. "Are you alright? I want to help you."

"Thank you, Darien, but you can't help me. I have to fight this on my own. I need to prove to my enemies and to myself more than anyone else, that I'm strong enough to do this." Serena stood strong, with her head held high and determination glistening within her eyes. Darien nodded his head silently in understanding.

"Please be careful. You know, you're not allowed to die in your dreams." Darien reminded quietly. Serena smiled warmly.

"This isn't a _Nightmare on Elm Street_ film." She let out a lighthearted giggle. "I'll be fine." Sobering up slightly, she noted Darien's serious demeanor and the way that he winced at her playfulness.

"Serena, don't be so blasé about this. Considering your track record of hurling yourself off cliffs and drowning without being near water, I want you to be careful." Darien pleaded. "I care about you."

"I know. I'm an important… friend." Serena broke her eye contact with the man, lowering her gaze for a moment to collect herself and keep her emotions in check. When she felt that she was ready to face him again, she raised her head and shot him a half hearted smile. Failing to hold eye contact for more than two seconds, she quickly turned her attention to the fireplace.

"No, I don't think you understand, Sere. You're more important to me than any other friend. I need you to be careful and make it out of here, because I need you. I don't think you understand what it would be like for me, to wake up and not be able to call you Meatball Head, or hurl a rose to save you from being eaten by a nega-monster." Darien cringed as the words left his lips. He wasn't making a convincing argument. He was certain that he wasn't making any sense at all. She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow incredulously.

"You want me to live through this so you can tease me? Does Tuxedo Mask need a damsel to save just to boost his ego?"

"No, that's not it." Darien winced at his own incompetence. He was never great at dealing with his emotions, and even worse at expressing them. "What I mean to say is; my life won't be the same without you." He paused nervously, finding himself squirming under her gaze. Glancing over at the girl, he observed a rosy tinge to her cheeks. She finally comprehended the meaning behind his mindless rambling. "I care about you. You have to be careful in here because… you're my everything." Lifting a hand, he caressed her cheek and looked into her eyes. She took a small step forward and leaned against him, dreamily gazing back into his eyes. He slowly lowered his head until his lips barely touched hers. He could feel her chest rising and falling with fast shallow breaths that danced across his lips. "Serena, I'm in love with-" The ground rumbled loudly and tore away from beneath them both. Serena let out a piercing scream as she reached out for Darien. It was too late, the floor beneath her feet crumbled away and she fell into the dark abyss.

Darien gasped as he jolted out of his sleeping state. It took him moments before he could shake his disorientation and regain a grasp on reality. His head throbbed and pulsated as he felt the onset of a migraine commence. Frustrated, he wondered if his dream had really merged with hers and if she really knew how he felt about her. Finding that there was now nothing he could do for Serena, he resolved to walk down to the hospital cafeteria for another strong coffee.

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That's it for another chapter. How many non sailor moon references did you find? Please leave a review and let me know how you felt about this chapter. It's truly an uplifting experience reading all your feedback and it inspires and motivates me to write more. Also, don't forget to check out my latest story, _**Akai Ito. **_Until next week,

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	17. I Am Free

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day. In the lead up to today, I've edited all chapters of my story **Mystery Girl** and I hope it has just about no spelling errors now. So if you haven't already read it, check it out.

Non Sailor Moon References in the previous chapter included: The Wizard of Oz, Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Dali's Persistence of Memory, Peter Pan, Frankenstein, Encarta Mindmaze, and Nightmare on Elm St.

_**Thanks to:**_ itsxdeexdork, TamoumatheStarWarrior, KageNoNeko, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, SerentiyMoonGodness, Halo 4360, merangelgal, IceQueenBarbarien, CharmedSerenity3 _**and **_SulliMike23 _**for reviewing the previous chapter**_

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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 17- I Am Free

Darien stared out of the window pensively. Three days had passed since his joint dream with Serena, and she had showed no signs of improvement since. He had fallen asleep by her side a number of times with hopes of finding a connection with Serena, like he had somehow done previously, but to no avail. Tapping his pen against his anatomy text book, Darien attempted once again to focus on his studies instead of the unconscious girl by his side. With another sigh, he rose to his feet resigning any thoughts of further study. He walked over to where she lay and sat down beside her on the bed. Watching her peaceful form, he raised a finger, caressing the outline of her cheeks and along her jaw. Ever so gently brushing his thumb against her soft pink lips, he leaned in, stopping barely an inch away from fulfilling his desire to kiss her.

"I'm sorry, I can't kiss you." Darien pulled away. "I can't steal your first kiss from you without you knowing, and without knowing how you feel about me. I don't even know if that dream was real. It wouldn't be fair."

A gentle glow washed across Serena's sleeping form. A golden crescent moon symbol beamed brightly from the centre of her forehead. The Moon Wand under her pillow also began to radiate a warm glow as it too began to shine. For barely a moment, Serena's body seemed to transform into her suited Sailor Moon form, before returning to her dormant state. A solid beam emitted intense rays of light from the crescent moon shape on Serena's temple. Within the blink of an eye, the room exploded in a vivid dazzle of light and bright colour. It dispersed as quickly as it had occurred, and the crescent moon symbol displayed on Serena faded away.

Darien rubbed his eyes. His pupils struggled to adjust to the brilliant display he had just witnessed. He looked about the room. It was the same as before. Nothing had changed. Pinching himself lightly, he came to the conclusion that this was not a dream. Serena was fighting her last battle. He took hold of her hand and gently squeezed. To his surprise, her eyes fluttered open.

"Serena, you're awake!" He exclaimed in astonishment. She cocked her head to one side, looking at the man in front of her curiously. She silently looked around the room, taking in her surroundings.

"Where am I?" Serena asked quietly.

"You're in the hospital, remember?" Darien gently released Serena's hand as he watched her continue to stare at various objects around the room. Lifting a hand to her face, she curiously began to study the back of her hand.

"Serena?" Darien attempted to gain her attention. She looked past her hand, at the tall dark haired man before her and her eyes lit up.

"Are you here to see me?" She smiled warmly.

"Of course I am." Darien shot the spacey girl an incredulous look.

"You don't look familiar." Serena pouted in confusion. "Are you my boyfriend?" She exclaimed loudly, erupting in a fit of giggles as her face turned bright red. "I hope so, because you're one handsome hunk-meister! Ah! I can't believe I just said that out loud!" She continued to giggle, kicking her feet against the bed in excitement.

"Serena, you don't remember who I am?" Darien slid off the bed to kneel down, face to face beside the boisterous girl. She sobered her giggle fit and looked at him, analyzing every bit of his face intently.

"No. I've never met you before in my life." She scratched her head in puzzlement before pausing in thought. "Actually, I'm not too sure who I am either. I think… my name is Serena Tsukino and I just had a dream that I was Sailor Moon. Oh! Am I Sailor Moon? That would be so cool! Am I friends with Sailor V?"

"You remember Sailor V, but you don't remember who I am." Darien raised an eyebrow in an attempt to figure out the extent of Serena's amnesia.

"I like cake. I think I like cake. I think my favourite colour is pink, but I'm not too sure. What's pink?" Serena looked about her intently, finding a pigtail and tugging on it. She seemed surprised to find that it was attached to her head. After a few more moments of curious exploration, Serena's attention returned to the handsome looking man in the room.

"So, if you're not my boyfriend, who are you?" Serena idly played with a lock of her hair before tucking it away behind her ear.

"I'm Darien." He began solemnly. She had no recollection of who he was. She didn't remember anything about him. No memories of how they first met, or his alter ego. No recollection of their constant teasing or their friendship. She had no idea of his feelings and affection for her.

"Darien! I know you!" Serena beamed excitedly. He watched her intently, his heart racing within his chest. "When I woke up, I heard myself calling your name in my head. For a while, I was confused and asking myself what the heck a Darien was, but it's you! You're Darien!" Serena squealed excitedly at her newfound discovery. Slipping out from under the sheets, she stood up on her own two feet for the first time in days. She grinned broadly, she hurled herself at Darien. His body tensed as she wrapped her arms around him in an eager hug. He was alarmed at the sudden display of affection, but she showed no signs of pulling away any time soon.

"I don't quite remember who you are right now, but thank you. In my dream, I was fighting all these demons and monsters. I didn't think I would make it, but I did because of you. When I was feeling disheartened and when everything began to look bleak and hopeless, I heard your voice and your name in my head and my heart filled with joy. You're the reason why I kept going and made it out alive." Serena giggled as she pulled away and crawled back into bed. "I'm so hungry. I could really go for a chocolate milkshake."

Darien smiled, knowing that the bubbly exuberant Serena he once knew had returned. She had defeated her inner demons, and she had done it all on her own. She had proved herself. She was stronger than anyone had imagined. Who would've thought that the clumsy, crybaby Serena that sat before him would take on these wraithlike monsters and come out stronger than ever? She had fought hard against the evil within her and managed to win his heart in one fell swoop. He admired her courage and the power she had shown that came from within her over the last few months. She was now free of the dark forces that controlled her and tainted her beautiful dreams. Now, if only she would remember him.

"Where are you going?" Serena watched as Darien rose to his feet and began to walk towards the door.

"To get you a chocolate milkshake, Meatball Head." He leaned over, squeezing one of her hair buns. She pouted immediately, attempting to swat his hand away.

"Don't call me that! I don't even know you. What a jerk! I can't believe I thought you were handsome and my boyfriend." Serena crossed her arms and gave a loud 'hmph' as she turned away. "You're not worthy of my hand in marriage anyway."

"Are you kidding me?" Darien almost choked as he laughed full heartedly. "Married, to you? Settle down, Sere. You're cute, but I'm not that much of a masochist." Serena blinked a few times. It was evident in the blank look plastered all over her face that she was struggling to comprehend him. She couldn't understand his big words. Darien grinned and shook his head. "Don't hurt yourself. I'll pick up a dictionary for you too while I'm out."

"Oh, you're such a jerk!" Serena screeched in frustration. "Why don't you pick up a heart from the transplant ward while you're heading downstairs?" An odd feeling of déjà vu swept over Serena as her heart began to inexplicably beat faster within her chest. She watched as Darien shot her another playful smirk before closing the door behind him. It was strangely familiar, the way he looked at her. She couldn't explain it, but even though he frustrated her to no end, she couldn't help but feel a strong attraction towards the man. It was as though the remnants of her memory were breaking through and old habits were taking over. She found that she couldn't resist poking her tongue out at him, or pouting in an attempt to gain a bit of pity, even though in her heart she somehow knew it would be futile.

Serena sat on her bed, huffing to shift her bangs out of her eyes. She contemplated her relationship with Darien. She still couldn't remember a thing about him, but he seemed very important to her. Whenever he smiled, she had to suppress the strong urge she felt to lean in and kiss him. But at the same time, whenever he opened his mouth to speak, she found herself becoming defensive and insulting him back. For some reason it was just too easy for him to get under her skin, and he did, every single time. His actions confused her and gave her mixed feelings. On one hand he was sweet and obviously cared enough to stay by her side. He was a source of motivation as she fought through her dreams. On the other hand, he seemed to constantly tease her in a condescending manner. Who was he? Was he a good friend or a brotherly figure? Did she have a crush on him? What did he think of her? Was there something more than just a friendship between them? Serena yearned to find out the answers to all the questions that whirled in her mind, especially the last one.

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That's it for this week. I will see you all next week for the last chapter of **Only in My Dreams**. Please review! Don't forget to R&R my latest story **Akai Ito** too! Happy Valentines xx

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	18. Once in a Lifetime

Welcome to the final chapter. It's been a wild ride and I hope you've enjoyed it. To the many who have reviewed along the way, my sincerest thanks. Every now and then i'll re-read the old reviews for early chapters and smile. To those who have read this story, made it this far and have not yet reviewed, please do so. This is the time to do it.

_**Many wondrous thanks to:**_ claireylee824, Goddess of the Moonlit Sky, CharmedSerenity3, Jenbunny, KageNoNeko, itsxdeexdork, Halo 4360, SerentiyMoonGodness, merangelgal **_and_** SulliMike23_** for their awesome reviews on the previous chapter**_

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**Title:** Only In My Dreams  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 18- Once in a Lifetime / You Love Like Nobody Loves Me

"Good morning, Meatball head!" Darien arrived, knocking on the door as he walked in. He held out a tall vase with a single red rose suspended within the water. Serena's eyes lit up at the sight as she eagerly reached for her gift.

"It's beautiful! Thank you so much, Darien." She grinned broadly, gently caressing the soft delicate petals.

"You're welcome, just don't eat it." Daren warned as he placed his stack of textbooks on the table near the window. He couldn't help but smile as she childishly pouted at him.

"What's that?" Serena scrunched up her nose at the sight of the large heavy hardback books.

"Don't worry, they're not for you." Darien reassured, playfully poking his tongue out at the disgusted blonde girl. "I have two exams coming up and I'm behind in my studies. I have to majorly cram before next week."

"Oh, and you're going to do it here?" Serena subconsciously tilted her head at an angle.

"Sure. Hospitals are horrible places when you don't have visitors. It can be quiet and lonely. I thought I'd give you a bit of company. Your friends all have exams to study for too, if you're wondering. They wanted to come and see you, but since you may not remember them, it may be a little too overwhelming for you to have a herd of people in here. Maybe in a few more days when you've recovered a little more energy, but until then you'll just have to put up with me."

"Thank you." Serena smiled warmly as she continued to admire her gift. She quietly occupied herself with the rose, playing with it gently as she allowed Darien to settle down to his studies. He opened up a textbook and reached in to his coat pocket, pulling out a pair of black rectangular framed reading glasses. As he placed them on the bridge of his nose, Serena sensed a familiar feeling. A wave of nostalgia overcame her. The way his glasses framed his eyes set off alarm bells in Serena's mind, but she couldn't remember why.

Serena placed the rose on the table beside her and continued to examine Darien. He had defined features and the deepest blue eyes. His jet black hair fell across his eyes at times, but was still well kept. Broad shoulders gave him a strong masculine look, but no matter how much she tried not to, her gaze constantly returned to his soft inviting lips. She cleared her throat, attempting to also clear her mind of her secret thoughts.

"How are you going there?" She asked, uncomfortable with the silence.

"Good. Just reading up." Darien glanced up briefly before returning his attention to the text in front of him. Once again, the room filled with silence. Serena squirmed as the lack of conversation meant that her thoughts would constantly roam back to Darien and how strikingly attractive she thought he was. She scratched her head nervously; unable to stop herself from coming to the conclusion that she liked his concentrating face. His jaw line seemed to catch the light just in the right way. Serena's eyes traced the curve from beneath his ears and followed it along the straight path towards his chin. She silently scolded herself and cleared her throat once again in an attempt to break the silence, clasping her hands together in nervousness.

"Do you remember your first kiss?" Serena asked, her cheeks flushing a bright crimson colour. She looked away in embarrassment, avoiding his gaze.

"No." Darien stuttered uncomfortably. "I mean, I haven't kissed anyone before."

"You haven't?" Serena's head shot up as she looked at Darien skeptically.

"Serena, your first kiss is something that only happens once in your lifetime. It should be special and with someone special." He brushed off her question and continued to jot down study notes from his textbook. It was a common misconception among the campus that Darien was a ladies' man. He was often spotted making idle chatter with a number of beautiful classmates. It was purely platonic on his behalf, but the stories spread nevertheless.

Serena observed Darien's cool demeanor as he continued to study from his physiology textbook. The thought lingered at the back of her mind, constantly nagging away, yearning to be explored and contemplated. A silence fell between the two as Darien focused his attention to his studies. Serena chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she watched the dark haired man intently. Darien glanced up from his reading glasses to see Serena staring straight at him.

"What is it?" He looked about to see if he had something hanging off him. Serena's heart began to beat uncontrollably fast. Her breathing became short and shallow as her palms became cold and clammy. She frowned for a moment, trying to find a way to express her thoughts with words.

"Darien I'd like to, I mean, would you… will you kiss me?"

"I… You want me to kiss you, even after everything I just said?" She had succeeded in gaining his full attention. He put down his reading glasses and closed his textbook. Strolling toward the innocent looking girl, he took a seat on the bed beside her. "Serena, you don't even remember me. What makes you think you want your first kiss to be with me?"

"I don't know…" Serena admitted sheepishly.

"You should save your first kiss for someone you love and care about." He reached out and lifted her chin up so she was looking at him.

"I know but…" Serena glanced away once again. "I get these feelings when I'm around you. I'm not sure how to explain it. I'm not even sure what it is, but I like it. I feel happy."

"Sere…"

"Are you saving your first kiss for someone you love?" Innocence glistened within her light blue eyes and Darien felt his heart begin to beat faster. At that moment, she was so close. He made a small nodding motion and watched as she lowered her head and began to pull away. He swiftly took a hold of her hand, immediately drawing her attention as she turned to look at him once again.

Darien placed another hand affectionately on Serena's neck, his thumb softly caressing her cheek. He looked deeply into her eyes and felt her hand slowly begin to tighten her hold on his. Gently encouraging her closer, Darien leaned in just as she did. His lips gently touched hers to begin with and he heard her breath catch at the back of her throat. Another feeling of déjà vu overcame Serena as she felt Darien's lips lightly brush up against hers. She felt tingles run up and down her spine, giving her goose bumps across her arms. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Serena wasn't about to give up that easily. She longed for more and leaned further into him. Darien tensed as he felt Serena's hand resting on his chest. Gaining her approval, he deepened the kiss.

Flashes of light and hazy faces whirled through Serena's mind as she savored the giddy feeling of every gentle touch and caress. A scrunched up test paper. A black shoe. A piercing red rose. A white mask. _Tuxedo Mask._ Why did that sound so familiar?

"_Talking to your cat now, Meatball Head? / Princess, do not fight me please. / As I said, before you turn into a pumpkin. / I feel as though an ocean lies between us. / Good morning, Princess Serena."_

His voice echoed through her head. Images from memories flashed in rapid succession within her minds' eye like a kaleidoscope of moments frozen in time. Serena was beginning to feel overwhelmed as the memories seemed to surge back all at once like a huge wave. She continued to press her lips against Darien's, relishing and responding to his every movement.

" _You don't always have to put on a brave face. / You're much more fun to tease when you're happy. / I'll be here for you. / It's not my intention to let you jump off a cliff. / You're my everything. Serena, I'm in love with… you."_

Serena gasped as she abruptly pulled away from the kiss. Attempting to catch her breath and slow her rapid pulse, she grasped a hold of Darien's arms to steady herself. She felt lightheaded as the images began to subside and fade. Silently protesting the sudden lack of warmth and closeness, Darien shot Serena a questioning look. Something had obviously startled her. She inhaled a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"Darien," She paused, making sure that she held his eye contact. "I think I'm in love with you too." Darien pulled back slightly, a look of puzzlement gracing his features. A faint blush crept upon Serena's lips as she smiled back at him.

"Sere, are you… do you…?"

"I remember." Serena giggled, nodding her head in excitement. She flung her arms around the man, displaying her gratitude and affection. He sighed in relief as he responded by wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace.

"I'm not letting you face anything alone, ever again." Darien closed his eyes as he silently thanked the Supreme Being that watched over them and blessed him with the gift of her.

"I can't believe you kissed me even though I didn't have any idea of who you were." A faint blush stained Serena's cheeks as she playfully stuck her tongue out. "Taking advantage of innocent teens with no memory, that's a new low for you Mr. Chiba."

"That's not fair. You asked me to." Darien reeled back slightly in discomfort. "You may recall that just a few days ago you were giggling and hoping I was your boyfriend because of my striking handsomeness."

"I was out of it. It doesn't count. I didn't know what I was saying." Serena haughtily stuck her nose in the air. Darien smiled at her antics. He lifted his right hand, tracing along her jaw line with his index finger. He gently persuaded her to turn toward him. Gazing into her eyes, he slowly began to lean in for another kiss. Stopping just as her nose touched his, he pulled back ever so slightly. Serena frowned slightly in protest as she leaned in to make up for his hesitation. He placed a finger on her lips to stop her.

"Did you ever think that you, Serena Tsukino, would be telling me, Darien Chiba, that you love me?" Darien gave a small smile as Serena removed his finger from her lips and held his hand. She glanced away in thought for a moment before looking him directly in the eyes. A gentle smile graced her lips.

"Only in my dreams."

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I hope you all enjoyed the ending to Only in My Dreams. Please Review! Check out my latest Serena/Darien romance, **_Akai Ito. _**Thanks for reading :) Thanks for your support, and please let me know what you thought via review.

**_Crystal Saturn_**


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